HUM 112 ART APPRECIATION

MODULE 1: ART APPRECIATION: AN INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION
As a branch of knowledge, Humanities explores the human conditions through the use of analytical, critical, or
theoretical methods. This lesson will give you an introduction to what this whole course is all about. Art
Appreciation is primarily intended for the Humanities course at the tertiary level. Nevertheless, this may also be
used as a reference material for other courses in teaching the meaning and importance of art, its elements, and its
development in the Philippines.
CONTENT
Meaning and Importance of Humanities
Etymologically, the term “Humanities” is from a Latin word humanus which means educated. It refers to the
learning of arts such as architecture, dance, literature, music, painting, theatre, and sculpture (Sanches, 2011).They
are branches of knowledge that focuses on the human opinions, and relationships (Machlis, 2003). As a branch of
learning, the artwork is considered as the material object while its creativity and appreciation is the formal object
(Menoy, 2009& Marcos, et al., 2010).
Likewise, Humanities is more concerned on how a person expresses his/her feelings. These feelings can be in facial
manifestations or body movements. Laughing, crying, clenching our fists, curling our toes, stretching out our
fingers, and crossing our arms are representations of humanities (Menoy, 2009).
As a branch of knowledge, Humanities explores on human conditions through the use of analytical, critical, or
theoretical methods. These methods are in the form of ideas and words that help makes our life more meaningful.
Moreover, Humanities can also be as the study on how an individual documented and processed his/her experiences
particularly in connecting to others (Stanford University, 2016).Imparting humanities as an academic science is
designed to let our learners (particularly the new generations) become creative and artistic individuals. Humanities
help the students to connect with the community through art exposure like museum outings, concerts, theatre
performance, etc. (Marcos, 2010).
Description of Art Appreciation
When we look around, we see a lot of things that relate to art. Art can come in the form of many items such as
posters, paintings, portraits, covers, and more. People look at art in different ideas that they want to know more
about or may be studying. Art can shows ideas about the past, what is currently happening and what may happen in
the future. It can also show meaning, love, boredom, and creativity (Ramos, 2012). Art can be meaningful because
of the colors, shapes, and depictions it can create.
Art Appreciation is a way to motivate ideas and allows individuals to illustrate their feelings when they viewed an
artwork. It helps develops critical and innovative skills in thinking and teaches essential qualities in listening,
observing, and responding to multiple viewpoints It also requires an ability to differentiate what is apparent and
what is not (Gargaro & Jilg, 2016 and Sanger, 2012).
The Creation of Arts
In our life, we experience so much fragmentation of our thoughts and feelings. But, by creating arts, it brings things
back together. We merely make art because of so many reasons, and we enjoy the process of it.
The word “art” is from a Latin arti, which means craftsmanship, inventiveness, mastery of form, skill. It includes
literature, music, paintings, photography, sculpture, etc. It serves as an original record of human needs and
achievements. It usually refers to the so-called “fine arts” (e.g., graphics, plastic, and building) and to the so-called
“minor arts” (everyday, useful, applied, and decorative arts). It is the process of using our senses and emotions in
making creative activities (Marcos, 2010). It is a human capability to make things beautiful (e.g., buildings,
illustration, designing, painting, sculpture, and Photography) through the production of his/her imagination
depending on the preparation, theme, medium, and values used.
Significantly, the word artist comes from the French word artiste and the Spanish artista, which means “performer.”
It is someone who creates art that is merely trades and professions by which different people make their livings
(Goines, 2004).
Artist is most often refers to those who create within a context of the fine arts such as acting, dancing, drawing,
filmmaking, painting, sculpture, writing, photography, and music. They are those who use imagination, and a skill to
construct works that may be judged to have aesthetic importance. Creativity is a characteristic of an artist that
progressed in the extent of his/her life to express feelings. These are all processed in three significant phases namely:
Creation of Forms; Creation of Ideas; and Creation of the Materials (Sanchez, 2011)
a. The Creations of ideas. Artists are usually impressionable persons. They used their experiences as their basis in
the making of dance, picture, a poem, or a play or a song. For example, a composer may write a song on the
developing romance between a man and a woman, or on the pains of a broken-hearted.
b. The Creations of the Materials. The artist uses different materials or mediums to give form to an idea. For
example, a painter uses pigments; a sculptor uses wood, metal or stone; an author uses words; and a composer who
uses musical sounds to determine the notes.
c. The Creations of Forms. There are diverse forms used by the artists in expressing their ideas. It is a medium of
artistic expression recognized as fine art. This form is used to explain the physical nature of the artwork like in metal
sculpture, an oil painting, etc.
Functions of Arts
Arts also serve several functions which are item outcome to its purpose (Menoy, 2009), namely:
1. Individual Function- The artists perform arts because of the passion of their respective art forms. A singer
presents a concert for free because of his advocacy and the love of singing. For example, Performing Arts- These
arts are those forms in which the artists used his/her own body, face, and presence as a medium.
2. Social Function- Man associates with others through his art performance that arouses social consciousness.
Examples of this association are the choral singing, group dancing, public art exhibits and other practices.
3. Economic Functions- Arts are emerging as a potent force in the economic life of people assumes an essential role
as a direct and indirect contributor to state economies. Example of this is by generating economic vitality in
under-performing regions through crafts, tourism, and cultural attractions.
4. Political Functions- Art provides a forum for ideas that will lead to employment, prestige, status, and power.
During election period, for example, the candidates created their artworks (poster) which expresses their
propaganda, agendas and political views about making a stable society.
5. Historical Functions- Art is an essential technique for information to be recorded and preserved. It serves to
document or reconstruct historical figure and events. Most arts that are in Museums, for example, are filled with
amazing stories about the world most excellent and most creative people who brought us the treasures. By looking at
a work of art’s colors, materials, and symbolism, we can learn about the story and culture that produced it in the
past.
6. Cultural Functions- Art is an articulation and transmission of new information and values. Example, when you
think of Manila, you probably think of Fort Santiago, Luneta Park, and its world-renowned churches, or the famous
Intramuros.
7. Physical Functions- Buildings are artistically designed and constructed to protect their occupants and make their
life inside more meaningful. Architects, Industrial and Graphic Designers, and Interior Decorators share
responsibility in building environment that balance forms and functions.
8. Aesthetic Functions- Any artwork means beauty. It is visual spice for gracefully adorned interiors and can bring
out the most elegant features of different décor elements. It reasonably reproduced visual images which
communicate through fantastic persuasions and meaningful words.
Purpose of Art
Some purposes of art are the following (Marcos et al., 2011).
1. Create Beauty- Art is an expression of our thoughts, emotions, and intuitions. It is the communication of concepts
that cannot be faithfully portrayed by words alone. The Artist has considered nature as the standard of beauty. The
example of beauty can be in a snowy mountain scene, and the art is the photograph of it shown to the family.
2. Performing Arts- These arts are those forms in which the artists used his/her own body, face, and presence as a
medium. It is intended to beautify things to please and amuse the viewers through its colors and patterns.
3. Reveal Truth- Artwork helped to pursue truth and attempted to reveal about how the world works. It is a kind of
language that allows artists to send a message to the souls of the recipients that help change their attitudes, their
sensibility, and their ethics.
4. Express Values- Arts can illuminate our inner lives and enrich our emotional world. Through arts, the artist will
be encouraged to develop their creativity, challenge, and communication skills. It also promotes self- esteem and
wellness.
5. Commemorate Experience- Art serves to convey the personal experiences of an artist and record his impression in
his work.
6. Create Harmony- An artist makes use of the composition to put an order in the diverse content of his work.
Classifications of Art
Works of art are classified in many different ways, namely:
1. Visual Arts- These arts are those forms that create works which are primarily visual (forms perceived by the
eyes). The man can take the beauty of nature through a piece of paper so that other people may take time
appreciating the captured image. Examples of these arts include:
a. Painting- This form of visual art aims to evoke an emotion from the viewers. It is practice by applying colors or
other media to a surface with a brush or other objects.
b. Sculpture- This form of visual arts characterized as the art of representing an imagined or observed objects in
hard materials such as glass, metals, or wood in three dimensions.
c. Architecture- This form of art provides us the physical structure we lived. It is a profound expression of human
culture in a particular period, and it will endure and outlive us in forms of monuments that future generations will
study and strive to understand.
d. Drawing- This form of art enhances the way we see the world around and conditions us to capture its details in a
two-dimensional medium. This has been a critical element of art throughout history and in the contemporary art
world.
e. Photography- This form of art is a process of creating portraits by recording radiation on a radiation-sensitive
medium, such as electronic image sensors or photographic films.
2. Performing Arts- These arts are those forms in which the artists used his/her own body, face, and presence as a
medium. Examples of these arts are as follows:
a. Theatre (Drama) - This form of art uses performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a
live audience in a specific place and time.
b. Music- This form of art helps to express our mood and feel the way through our emotions and ideas. Based on a
study, different types of music may be suitable to different moods though classical music is still recommended as the
most calming music option.
c. Dance- This form of art is expressed through body movement which entails social interaction, or presented in a
spiritual or performance setting.
d. Film- This form of art allows us to explore the complexities of the human situation. This is used to work out our
emotions, to make history comes alive, science is explained, and literary works are brought into life.
e. Installation Art- The fundamental nature of this form of art is the participation of the spectators. In this work of
art, viewers become active and navigate the work in an environment that they can experience visually. It also has the
capacity of passing on particular information about any significant event around the world and interactively
represents documentary issues.
f. Opera- This form of art helps to tell stories through music. This is also performed with a full orchestra composed
of the various musical instrument sections. In this art form, singers and musicians perform a dramatic work by
combining text (called a libretto) and musical score.
g. Stagecraft- This form of art is a technical aspect of theatrical production. This includes constructing and
arranging scenery, hanging and focusing of lighting, the design of costumes, makeup, and procurement of props,
stage management and recording and mixing of sound.
3. Literary Arts- These arts centered on creative writing and other composition processes which intended to read.
These include prose and poetry (e.g., novels, short stories, sonnet, ballad, epic, and essay).
The Value of Arts in the Educational System
Knowing and practicing the arts disciplines are fundamental to the development of the minds and spirits of the
students (National Art Education Association, 1994). Arts are inseparable from education. When early humans drew
images on the walls of the caves, the artworks have been the means of recording human experiences and of making
SENSE OF THE WORLD. It educates us on how early people lived and survived. Thus, without the skills in the
arts, no one can claim that he/she is professionally trained.
There are several reasons for the arts to be included in an educational system. It is evident that involvement in the
arts has been shown to help students in their academic, personal, and social development. Listed below are other
details for this assertion.
1. Arts are worth studying because it served to connect our imaginations with the most profound questions of human
existence.
2. Arts are always used because it helps to present issues and ideas to teach, persuade, and entertain people.
3. Arts are integral to every person’s daily life because it helps shape our spiritual, political, economic, cultural, and
social environments.
4. Arts are refreshing because it offers unique sources of enjoyment and it investigates relationships between thought
and actions.
5. Arts develop students attitudes because it teaches self-discipline, reinforces self- esteem, fosters the thinking skills
and creativity and values the importance of teamwork and cooperation.
MODULE 2: AESTHETIC ARTS AND CRAFTS
The Difference between Aesthetic Arts and Crafts
Aesthetics is from the Greek word eisthesis which means ―perceptional. It is a branch of philosophy devoted to
the study of art and beauty used during the 18th century by Alexander Baumgarten, a German philosopher. This
term also refers to the principles governing the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in visual art
(Rader, 1979).
On the other hand, the term ―craft‖ comes from a German word Kraft which means ―power‖ or―ability‖. It is
usually employed in branches of the decorative arts or associated artistic practice. It also implies the application of
human skills through the use of a hand. It tends to produce things for various human purposes, and tend to exhibit
their prettiness around a goal external to the object itself (Dutton, 1990).
Arts and crafts started during the 19th century in Europe as a design reform and as a social movement initiated by
William Morris. It involves activities related to making things which require a combination of skill, speed, and
patience.
William Morris who was born on March 24, 1834, in Walthamstow, England was known for his pattern designs,
particularly on fabrics, and wallpapers. As a proponent of socialist ideals, Morris believed that a designer should
have the skill of any media in producing designs that intricate intertwining fruit, flower, and foliage pattern. He died
on October 3, 1896, at the age of 62 years old in London, England.
Types of Arts and Crafts
Artists may have unique skills and perceptive abilities, but they are also people with needs and the motivation to
meet those needs. Creating different works of art that are accepted by one’s audience can lead to an artist’s social
acceptance and recognition. Their works of art have been used to create pleasing environments. Arts and crafts have
different types, namely: textile wood, metal, paper or canvass, and plant crafts.
Textile Crafts. The word textile is from a Latin phrase texere which means “to braid" or "to construct." These
also refer to any craft where you work with fabric, yarn or surface design. It uses plant or any synthetic fibers in
creating practical or decorative objects. These include the following:
1. Cross-stitch- Stitching can also be a form of natural pain relief. It is a popular form of counted-thread embroidery
in which X-shaped stitches in a tiled, raster-like pattern are used to form a picture.
2. Crocket- It is a process of creating fabric from yarn, thread, or other material strands using a crochet hook.
3. Sewing- It is the crafts of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread.
4. Weaving- It is a fabric production method in which yarns are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth.
5. Tatting- It is a technique for handcrafting particularly in making durable lace which is constructed by a series of
knots and loops.
6. Shoemaking- It is the process of making footwear.
7. Lace- It is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand.
8. Macramé- It is a form of textile-making which requires very few tools and just some pure knowledge of basic
knotting.
9. Millinery- It is the designing and manufacture of hats.
10. String art- It is an arrangement of colored thread strung between points to form an abstract geometric design.
Wood Crafts. These refer to a skill that pertains to the woods, especially in making one's way through the woods or
in hunting, trapping, etc. It also relates to subsistence lifestyles with implications of hunting- gathering (Horace,
1906). These include the following:
1. Carpentry-It is a skilled trade in the cutting, shaping,
and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings.
2. Marquetry- It is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer (thin slices of wood) to a structure to form
decorative designs.
3. Woodturning- It is a form of woodworking that is used to create wooden objects.
4. Wood carving- It is a form of woodworking to form a wooden figure or objects by using a knife or a chisel.
5. Cabinetry- It is a skill in making a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and drawers for keeping various
objects.
6. Upholstery- It is the work of building cushion and cover furniture.
Metal Crafts. These refer to the art of executing artistic designs in metal for both practical and aesthetic purposes.
These arts are designed for decorative items or functional objects that are beneficial and useful to us all. These
works are of bronze, silver, gold, tin, copper, lead, brass, and iron. These include the following:
1. Jewelry- It is a form of personal adornments, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.
2. Metal Casting- It is a process by which a liquid material (bronze, copper, glass, aluminum, and iron) is poured
into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify.
3. Welded sculpture- It is an art form in which statue is made using welding techniques.
Paper or Canvas Crafts. It refers to an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making backpacks, tents,
marquees, and other sustainable items. These include the following:
1. Bookbinding- It is the process of physically assembling a book from some folded or unfolded sheets of paper or
other material.
2. Card making- It is a hand-made technique for producing greeting cards.
3. Collage- It is a technique where the artwork is made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new
whole.
4. Origami- It is a Japanese cultural art of paper folding.
5. Paper-Mache- It is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles,
bound with an adhesive.
6. Scrapbooking- It refers to a method of arranging, preserving, and presenting personal and family history in a
book form.
7. Rubber Stamping- It is a craft in which some type of ink made of dye or pigment applied to an image or pattern
that carved, molded, laser engraved or vulcanized, onto a sheet of rubber.
Plants Crafts- These refer to skills using plant parts as the medium. These include the following:
1. Corn dolly making- It relates to the making of shapes and figures (known as ‘dollies’) from straw (such as
barley, oats, and wheat).
2. Floral Design- It is the art of using plant materials and flowers to create a pleasing and balanced composition.
3. Pressed flower craft- consists of drying flower petals and leaves in a flower press to flatten and exclude light and
moisture.
Principles of Understanding Artistic Design and Composition
Art principles are created by combining art elements. Artists utilize organizing principles to develop forms that
inform. Among the fundamental principle of art are harmony, variety, balance, movement, emphasis, proportion, and
rhythm. Whether analysing or composing artwork, one must have a complete understanding of how art principles
are created (Elsen, 1981).
The Principle of Harmony. When all of the elements of art interact well in an artwork, visual harmony is attained.
This is accomplished by using similar types of geometric shapes, lines or colors within a work of art to create a
unified composition. Likewise, using various cool or warm colors would help to produce a harmonious work of art
The Principle of Balance. It refers to the symmetry of opposing visual forces. It is created in a work of art when
colors, forms, shapes or textures are combined harmoniously
The Principle of Movement. It is the way that an eye moves throughout a work of art. In this work of art, our eye
moves up through the pattern in the rippling surface of the water to the two paddlers. An artist creates a visual
movement to drive the eye to the focal point of the artwork.
Principle of Emphasis. It refers to the need for an artist to create a focal point within an artwork. This artistic point
is an essential part of a work of art, and the viewer’s eye should drawn to that area.
Principles of Proportion. This principle is created when the sizes of elements in an artwork art are combined
harmoniously. The artist usually tries to make all of the parts in a composition relate logically to each other to depict
the human form within the proper proportion.
Principle of Rhythm. It refers to the use of visual pattern within a work of art. Models within an artwork are
created by repeating certain colors, line or shapes in specific areas. It can also be used to form a variety of texture
within a work of art.
Motivated Functions of Art
The motivated purposes of art are intentional and conscious actions on the part of the artist. Art may bring political
change or comment on the life in a society. It may also convey specific propaganda, or just as a form of
communication (Holly, 2002). Primary motivated functions of arts are as follows:
• Art for Acting . Art may pursue to bring about a certain emotion, to relax or to entertain the viewer.
• Art for healing. Art is utilized by art therapists, psychotherapists, and clinical psychologists as art therapy. The
end product is a method of curing, through creative acts.
• Art for political change. One of the essential functions of the art of the early twentieth century has been to use
visual images to bring about legislative modification.
• Art for propaganda (Commercialism). Art is utilized to influence popular ideas or moods delicately.
• Art for communication. Art has a goal, directed toward another individual. For example, graphic is a form of art
for communication in which the artist expresses his/her emotions, feelings, and moods
MODULE 3: WESTERN ART HISTORY

Art Prehistoric Civilization

The term “prehistoric” relates to the time before written history.
Prehistoric art has four main periods: Stone Age, Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. During these early times,
different forms of art were created and performed as a sign of communication or adoration to the deity. This
practice shows how cultural and religious factors played little to the development of the art forms that made the
ancient society so famous until now.
Ancient people often represented their worldviews and beliefs through visual images. Art emerged with the
appearance and the dispersal of entirely modern people through Africa, Asia, Australia, America and Europe.
Paintings, sculptures, engravings, and potteries are expressions for beauty and complex social and spiritual
systems. Prehistoric art like animals are the favorite subjects of hunters, herdsmen, and breeders.
Prehistoric art is a symbolic system that is an integral part of the culture that creates it (Honour et al., 2005). Many
archaeologists have identified Stone Age art, namely: petroglyphs (rock carvings and engravings); pictographs
(graphic imagery, symbols); ancient sculpture (totemic statues, ivory carvings); and megalithic arts (performs
or any other works associated with the formation of stones).
The oldest European cave art is the El Castillo Cave (Cave of the Castle) in Spain. This cave was discovered in
1903 by Hermilio Alcalde del Río, a Spanish archaeologist. Some Archaeologists argue that artwork inside this
cave are probably a creation of Homo neanderthalensis. Hand stencils, claviforms (club shapes) and disks made by
blowing paint onto the wall in El Castillo cave found that date back at least 40,800 years, making them older than
those of the Chauvet Cave in central France, which dated to around 39,000 years (Kwong, 2012).Other old cave
painting sites in France include Lascaux, Grotte de Cussac, Pech Merle, Cave of Niaux, and Font-de-Gaume.
Stone Tools for Art Making
Stone is formed based on the composition of minerals on it. It classified as Mineral growth, Sedimentary,
Metamorphic, and Volcanic. Sedimentary rocks shaped through the deposition and compression of particulate
matter. On the other hand, Metamorphic rocks changed from the result of extreme temperature and pressure.
Volcanic rocks are from molten igneous magma (Prindle, 1994).
The tools made of tone were the instruments by which early man developed and progressed. All human culture
founded on the ingenuity and brainpower of our early ancestors in creating sophisticated tools that enable them to
survive. The first stone tools (eoliths- which are now believed to be naturally produced by geological processes such
as glaciation) and other types of organic materials (wood, bone, ivory, and antler) were about two million years ago.
The oldest human tools were a simple stone chopper, such as those unearth at Olduvai George in Tanzania. Many
Paleoanthropologists (people who study the origins and predecessors of the present human species) confirmed that
the Palaeolithic Man produced four types of tools in creating an art namely: pebble tools (with a single sharpened
edge for cutting or chopping): Bifacial tools (hand axes); Flake tools; and Blade tools.

Pebble Tools (Pebble chopper). It is a first cutting device and considered as the oldest type of tool made by humans.
The tool contains a rounded stone struck some blows with a similar stone used as a pounder, which created a
serrated crest that served as a chopping blade.
Bifacial tools. It is a hand ax prehistoric stone tool flake with two faces or sides. These tools may be oval, triangular,
or almond-shaped in form and characterized by axial symmetry. The cutting edge could be straight or jagged and is
used as a knife, pick, scraper, or weapon. The technique was distinctive of the hand-ax tradition of the lower
Palaeolithic period and the Acheulian culture.
Flake tools. These are hand tools used during Stone Age. They are usually formed by crushing off a small or large
fragment then used as the tool. Both cores and flakes could be as stone tools. New flakes were very sharp, but
quickly became blunt during use and had to be sharpened again by further flaking, a process called “retouch.”
Blade tools. These are a Stone tool created by striking a long narrow flake from a stone core. This procedure of
cutting the stone and creating the blades is called lithic reduction. After chipping the blades, they integrated into
larger tools, such as spears.
Medieval Arts in Europe
The primitive art of the Western world covers an extensive range of time and place over 1000 years. Specifically,
Medieval art in Europe grew out of the artistic culture of the Roman Empire and the iconographic practices in the
church of the early Christian (Oliquiano, 2012). These sources were mixed with the influential "barbarian" artistic
culture of Northern Europe to make an extraordinary creative legacy. Medieval art portrayed in Pietistic painting
(religious art) displayed in a Ceramics, fresco and mosaic paintings, Goldsmith and Silversmith, Stained Glass,
illuminated manuscripts, metalwork, Tapestry, and Heraldry in churches.
a. Illuminated Manuscripts (Illumination) - They were colorful religious texts which often use of gold and silver as
its main feature. The term illuminate is the Latin word “illuminate” which means to adorn or to enlighten. It is the
embellishment of a manuscript with bright colors. The artist who produced the impressive artwork on illuminated
manuscripts was called Illuminators.
b. Metalwork- Metalworkers were very skilled in creating religious objects for church decorations. Experts in
Bronze art produced beautiful jewels, sculptures, and even church doors.
c. Silversmith and Goldsmith- They were excellent artists who created new shapes of jewelry. The Medieval church
demanded to employed silversmiths and goldsmiths in the church to produce e2222 with small pieces of colored
glass, stone or other materials. The early Christians used ceiling and wall mosaics in their churches and cathedrals.
d. Paintings- Artists who were skillful in Iconography uses Fresco and panel painting with the religious theme
during the medieval period. Fresco is performed mostly on wall covers or ceilings. Likewise, Panels is a painting
which showed on several pieces of wood that joined together. It is also for the Icons of Byzantine art.
e. Bayeux Tapestry- It is embroidery in colored wool. It is consists of eight long strips of unbleached linen, sewn
together to form a continuous panel of 230 feet long and 20 inches high.
f. Ceramics- They were hand shaped cooking pots, jars, and pitchers.
g. Stained Glass- It is usually applied exclusively to the windows of medieval churches, castles, and cathedrals. It
creates the primary form of art where small pieces of glass are arranged to form pictures or patterns which are held
togetherby strips of lead and supported by a hard frame.
h. Heraldry- It is the manner of designing coats of arms and insignia. Specimens of coats of arms were worked using
embroidery, paper, painted wood, stonework and stained glass.
Famous Artists in Western Europe
The great artists introduced the advancement of arts during the middle periods. During this era, artists split away
from the influences of the Byzantium art style and developed into the Gothic visual art. The Medieval painters and
sculptors were founders of the movement towards greater realism which culminated in the Renaissance art style.
Most famous artists during medieval period were Donatello, Giotto, Leon Battista Alberti, Cimabue, Filippo
Brunelleschi, Fra Angelico and Lorenzo Ghiberti.
1. Donatello (also known as Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi). He was born in 1386 in Italy. He was the son of
Nicolo di Betto Bardi, a wool merchant in Florence. He learned the fabrication of metals and other substances which
known as metallurgy. His most famous works of art include David, Mary Magdalene, Madonna, Salome, Zuccone,
and St. Mark, St. John the Evangelist and St. George and the Dragon. He also invented a technique known as
schiacciato (shallow relief), which achieved effects of spatial depth. He died on December 13, 1466.
2. Giotto di Bondone. He was born about 1266 in Vespignano village, Florence. He was the son of Giorgio Vasari, a
small landed farmer. He worked with others artists for the Cathedral of San Francesco in Assisi and began painting a
fresco cycle there with scenes from the Old and New Testaments. In 1300, he was invited by Pope Benedict XI in
Rome to paint a mosaic over the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica. He died on January 8, 1337, in Florence.
3. Leon Battista Alberti- He was born in Genoa on February 14, 1404, in Italy. As an Architect, he was hired by
Pope Nicholas V in the renovation of the papal palace and of the Roman bridge of Acqua Vergine. He died in Rome
on April 25, 1472.
4. Giovanni Cimabue- He was born in Florence in 1240. He devoted all his time wrapping his paper and his books
with photographs of horses, houses, people, and other various things he dreamt up. He made mosaics .as well as
paintings, which include the frescoes of New Testament scenes in the upper church of St. Francis of Assisi. He died
in 1302.
5. Filippo Brunelleschi- He was born in 1377 in Florence, Italy. He was the son Brunellesco Di Lippoo, an Italian
lawyer and his mother was Giuliana Spini. He was a sculptor and goldsmith in one of the Florentine workshops. He
died on April 15, 1446.
6. Fra Angelico (also known as Beato Angelico, which means "Blessed Angelic One”)- He was born in 1395 in
Florence, Italy. As a Painter, his most famous works of art include the Annunciation, The Madonna and Saints and
the Transfiguration of Christ painting.
7. Lorenzo Ghiberti- He was born in 1380 in Florence, Italy. He was admitted to the Gold Guild and started his
apprenticeship as a goldsmith in 1392. He started work on the East Doors of the Baptistery of San Giovanni. The
Bronze doors (known as the “Gates of Paradise”) had 10panels depicting scenes from the Old Testament. He died in
1445.
Most Common Paintings in Classical Greek
Familiar paintings in classical Greek are as follows:
a. Kerch Vase Painting
Kerch Vase is red-figured pottery named after the place where it discovered. Most common motifs were scenes from
the life of women, mythological beings or mythical story or event. This type of painting used a technique known as
polychromy which combined different colors especially the brilliant one in an artistic manner. The shapes commonly
found are:
a. Krater (it is a bowl used for mixing wine and water)
b. lebesgamikos (a container with high handles and lid use to carry bridal bath)
c. lekanis (a low bowl with two horizontal handles and a small, broad foot)
d. pelike (a wine container)
b. Panel Painting
Panel Painting was especially famous for making beautiful altarpieces. This type of paintings executed on flat panels
of wood or metals which can be either a small, single piece or several boards that are together. The earliest known
old panel painting is the Pitsa Panel (dated between 540 and 530 B.C.E.).
c. Tomb/Wall Painting
Popular Tomb or wall painting during classical period uses either tempera (water-based) or encaustic (wax) as a
method of fresco. Colors in this type are made with grind powder stains in pure water, dry and set with plaster to
become a lasting part of the wall.