HISTORICAL AND

CULTURAL
BACKGROUND
 ◦ “ man is the measure of all
things.” according to Protagonas.
An ancient Greek philosophers.
This creature has never ceased to

Humanities amaze philosophers, scholars and

scientist for over two millennia,

and the and still the amazement never

stops. From the rudimentary tools

Arts of the stone age man to the

never-ending upgrades in software
technology, man continues to
evolve in knowledge and
technology thus leaving an
indelible mark of his legacy.
 ◦ When one hears the word Humanities, one
would generally think of the arts i.e. painting,

Why study sculpture, literature, architecture, music,

dance, and theatre. These are areas in
Humanities? human subjectivity is emphasized and
individual expressiveness is celebrated. Art,
however, is just one part of the world of the
Humanities.
◦ Etyhologically, Humanities came
from the Latin word “humanus”
which means, human , cultured,
and refine. To be human is to show
characteristics of rationality,
benevolence, and care; to be
cultured and refined is to show
good taste and manners indicative
of good proper education. These
are manifested in all the thoughts
and actions that center on human
interest, and ideals, values and
sentiments.
NATURE OF THE
ARTS
 The word art comes from the Aryan root
ar, which means “ to join or to put
together.” the Latin term sars, artis.
Mean everything that is artificially
made or composed by man. Art
constitutes one of one of the oldest and
most important means of expression
developed by man.
Art particularly refers to the skillful
arrangement or composition of some
common but significant qualities of
nature such as sounds, colors, lines,
movements, words, stone, and wood to
express feelings, thoughts,
imaginations and dreams in an
amazing, meaningful and enjoyable
way.( Adams, 2002)

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Art deals with man’s internal world,
his personality and experiences,
matters that cannot directly be
measured, classified or controlled.
Art provides enjoyment and
stimulation, particularly when people
try to understand them.
FUNCTION OF
ART
When art is compared to other
human activities, the uncultured will
generally regard it as impractical,
i.e. it is not meant to meet the
requirements of the day to day
living. To a lay person, deprived of a
formal education a painting or a
sculpture have very little survival
function. However, other forms of
arts like architecture, weaving, and
furniture –making serve functions
that make man’s life better, they are
classified as Functional art forms
Painting, sculpture, literature, music,
dance and theater, though non-
functional, serve purposes far
beyond mundane survival functions.
The human need for beauty and
aesthetics transcends sensual
amusement and to the cultured
elevates human expression, bringing
it closer to the divine.
The Human need
for expression
This seems to be built-in the human
psyche: this need to express, to
show, to exhibit what is hidden in
man’s inner world. His thoughts,
emotions, imaginations, dreams and
aspirations are expressed in his art.
The social need for display, celebration
and communication
It is not enough for man to express his inner world
through his art, he needs to share and convey it to
others too. In this way, others may know, may
empathize and may realize that people are
interconnected.
The physical needs
for functional objects
All art is man-made in the effort to
make human life better, objects are
created which is also classified as
art. All technology is art. It is careful
combination of forms and function.
This is based on the premise that if
an object is to perform its function,
its form (design) should also allow it
to do so.
Aesthetics Function
of Art
Aesthitics is the philosophical study of
beauty and taste. It is concerned with
the nature of art used as basis for
interpreting and evaluating individual
works of art.
UTILITARIAN
FUNCTIONS
 .

ART THAT HAS FUNCTION AS ITS PRIORITY,

AND YET IS STILL AESTHETICALLY PLEASING

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 CULTURAL
FUNCTIONS
Help develop the mind and body,
refine feelings, and thoughts and
reflect and represent our customs
and values as a society.
 Cultural
Function of Arts

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SOCIAL FUNCTION
Social Function are those that go
beyond personal intrinsic value to
art social benefits.
 Social Function
Art

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 There are different forms of
art. We consider these two
classes visual arts and
performing arts.

Visual art includes paintings,

sculpture, literature,
Scope of Art calligraphy, photography,
and architecture.

Performing arts are all forms

of dance, music, theater,
and film. Art can also be
classified as fine art,
commercial art, and applied
art.
 The Origin of Art
The origin of art are therefore much
more ancient and lie within Africa,
before worldwide human dispersal.
The earliest known evidence of
artistic behaviour is the human body
decoration.

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ARTIST AND
ARTISANS
 Artist

An artist is a person who exhibits his

exceptional skills in the visual and /or
the performing arts. Unlike other
people, artist are more sensitive, very
perceptive and more creative. They
have the knack of interpreting ideas
into artistic form using as their
medium the words, pigments, clay,
stone, musical notes or any
combination that may best represent
his message.
Artisan

A person who is in a skilled trade that

involves making things by hand. He is
a craft worker who makes or creates
object of great beauty by using his
hands. His creations may be
functional or decorative.

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Appreciating the
Arts
How then does one when looking at a painting or a
sculpture, after watching a play or dance or when
listening to music, can these artistic expressions be
appreciated at a deeper, more informed level?
This study of the art is aimed at engaging the
audience/learners to have relationship with the work that
would make them understand art not only for itself but
from the view of the artist, the period, the culture, and
the society in which it was created. Courses designed for
appreciating art aims for learners to have good art
awareness that they look at or experience a piece of art
they would be able to:
◦ Give a good physical description of the artwork based
on their knowledge of art elements and materials.
◦ Analyze artwork in terms of what the artist wants his
work to represent and their (learners) subjective
reaction to the works which includes their thoughts and
feelings.
◦ Perceive the artwork in the context
of its history. This would enlighten
the learners of the artist intention
in doing the work and add to the
understanding of the meaning the
work is supposed to convey.
◦ Give meaning to the artwork based
on its description, analysis, and
context
◦ Judge the artwork as to whether it
is good or bad based on the
learner’s perception of it and its
aesthetic and cultural value.