ART APPRECIATION
BSBA Financial Management- F1
GROUP 1
Members:
Leader- Peria, Angel Diane
Secretary- Magsusi, Desiree
Reporter- Martinez, Mikko
Galan, Lady Michelle
Iwamoto, Jhayumi
Miraflor, Jinky
Rodriguez, Cristel Mae
Talento, Shek Haina
Subject and Content
In the Philippines, where museum visits are uncommon, many struggle with art
appreciation, believing they must extract a single meaning or the artist’s intent.
This mindset limits engagement to those with formal training, which should not be
the case.
Art appreciation begins with perception, similar to how we process everyday
stimuli. While vision plays a key role, interpretation is shaped by personal
experiences, emotions, education, and background. Selective perception
highlights certain details, making subjectivity essential in understanding and
connecting with an artwork.
Types of Subject
1. Representational art (also sometimes called figurative art) aims to depict actual
objects or subjects from reality. It seeks to represent the visual world in a
recognizable way. The viewer can identify what the artwork is supposed to be,
even if it's not a perfectly realistic rendering.
Examples:
Portraits: Paintings or sculptures of people.
Landscapes: Paintings or drawings of natural scenery.
Still Life: Paintings or drawings of inanimate objects.
Historical Paintings: Depictions of historical events.
2. Non-representational art (also called abstract art or non-objective art) does not
attempt to depict recognizable objects or figures from the real world.
Examples:
Color Field Paintings: Large canvases dominated by expanses of color.
Geometric Abstraction: Art based on geometric shapes and patterns.
Non-Representational Art and Abstract Art
Non-representational art is often confused with abstract art, but they actually
exist on a spectrum rather than as a clear cut divide. An abstract work of Pablo
Picasso is a great example to illustrate this. Although he is more known for his
paintings,he also dabbled into other works including sculptures, which, despite its
abstract qualities, looking at the combination of lines, shapes. and colors of the
sculpture will still evokes the image of a woman's head. The level of distortion in
art determines its classification along this spectrum, with abstract art moving
away from reality and non-representational art marking a complete departure.
Russian artist Vasily Kandinsky, a proponent of non-representational art Although
his chosen art form was paintings, he likened non-representational art to music,
emphasizing that both art forms can evoke imagery and spiritual experiences.
His paintings often draw inspiration from music, reflected in titles like impression,
improvisation, and composition.
Sources and Kinds of Subject
When facing a creative block, writers reflect on what they know for inspiration. Similarly,
artists find subjects for their paintings from various sources, including their surroundings
and imagination.
Non-Representational Art
- This type of art requires a higher level of perception to understand its meaning.
- It does not depict clear objects but rather focuses on emotions and abstract ideas.
Representational Art
- This type of art depicts real-world objects, making it easier for viewers to recognize
the subject.
- The figures in the artwork resemble things we see in reality.
Sources of Inspiration
- Artists often find inspiration in human interactions with the physical world.
- Childhood experiences, sensory observations, and nature play key roles in
influencing artistic subjects.
Nature as a Subject
- Many artists focus on nature, capturing its different aspects, including animals,
landscapes, bodies of water, and the changing seasons.
- These representations can be realistic or a mix of reality and imagination.
Vincent van Gogh’s Connection to Nature
- Van Gogh saw art and nature as deeply connected.
- He found peace in painting landscapes, such as wheat fields and rural scenes.
- In a letter to his brother Theo, he expressed that his love for nature and art gave him
happiness. “…if I felt no love in nature and my work, then I would be unhappy.” (Van
Gogh Museum, 1882)
Artists find inspiration in human interactions with the world, especially from
childhood experiences and sensory observations, which shape their artistic
vision.
Artists have always found different ways to represent nature in their work. Some
focus on animals, capturing their movement and beauty, while others paint
landscapes, showing fields, mountains, or forests. They also depict bodies of
water, such as rivers and oceans, and even the changing seasons, like autumn
leaves or winter snow. These representations can be realistic, showing nature
as it is, or imaginative, adding creative elements influenced by the artist’s
emotions or unique perspective.
Examples:
I. Abstract Art
- An artist paints random shapes and colors that don’t look like anything specific but
express feelings like joy or confusion.
II. Landscape Painting
- An artist paints a picture of a river, trees, and birds, showing a peaceful nature scene
that looks real.
Artists create abstract art to express emotions and paint landscapes to show
realistic nature scenes.
Figure 29. Jan van Kessel, “A Cockchafer, Bettle, Woodlice and Other Insects,
with a Spring of Auricula” (early 1650s). Oil on copper. Museum of Art and
Archaeology. University of Oxford Collection.
Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, and J.M.W. Turner were
renowned for their landscapes and seascapes. In the Philippines, National
Artists Fernando Amorsolo and Fabian de la Rosa gained prominence for rural
scenes depicting harvest gatherings. Jan van Kessel the Elder specialized in
detailed still lifes and scientific illustrations of nature, including flowers, insects,
and shells.
Figure 30. “Discobolus”
Greek and Roman mythology inspired various forms of art, depicting heroic
figures like Achilles and Aeneas, as well as moral lessons through characters
such as Icarus and Odysseus. The beauty of Aphrodite and the athleticism of
Myron were also common themes. Artists brought these myths to life by giving
faces to gods and goddesses, whose fates often mirrored human tragedies.
These artistic expressions took the form of wall paintings, frescoes, sculptures,
busts, statues, ceramics, and pottery.
Examples of Greek and Roman mythology influencing art are:
1. The Statue of Aphrodite (Venus de Milo) – The goddess of beauty and love. It
showcases the idealized form of feminine beauty, reflecting the artistic
admiration of divine figures.
2. The Frescoes of Pompeii – These artworks were painted on walls, preserving
mythological tales and serving as decorations in Roman homes.
Figure 31. Michalangel, “Sistine Chapel” (1508-1512)
The relationship with a higher controlling power greatly influenced artistic
traditions. Greek and Roman polytheism inspired various forms of art, while the
rise of Judeo-Christian monotheism shaped Western civilization, leading to the
development of religious architecture, paintings, frescoes, stained glass, and
sacred artifacts.
One of the greatest artistic achievements of this era was Michelangelo's fresco
in the Sistine Chapel, commissioned by Pope Julius II. Its immense detail and
scale made it a challenging project, taking him from 1508 to 1512 to complete.
Examples of how religion influenced Western art are:
1. The Sistine Chapel Ceiling – Painted by Michelangelo, it depicts key biblical
stories from the Book of Genesis, including the Creation of Adam, showcasing
the deep connection between Christian theology and artistic expression during
the Renaissance period.
2. Gothic Cathedral Architecture – Many medieval cathedrals, such as Notre-
Dame de Paris, reflect Christian beliefs through stained glass windows, towering
spires, and intricate sculptures.
It highlights that while Islam prohibits depictions of God and important figures,
Christianity and Judaism allowed it, influencing architectural styles globally.
Figure 32. Interior of Westminster
The text discusses the significance of Indian miniature paintings, which were
highly pictorial, stylized, and employed strong color contrasts. These artworks
often depicted heroic narratives that fostered devotion and upheld ethical values.
Some artists incorporated verses from epics into their work for added meaning.
It also highlights that Indian art, particularly in Central India, was deeply
influenced by Vedic texts such as the Upanishads, Puranas, and Sanskrit epics
like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. This art form was a fusion of literature and
sacred text, shaping the artistic traditions of the region.
Figure 33. Shah Jahan Receiving Dara Shach Folio from the Late Shah Jahan
Abum (ora 1650) Waterco Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper. Nell and
Alice Heeramaneck Collection, Museum Associales Purchase
The image shows a page from a book featuring a historical painting titled "Shah
Jahan Receiving Dara Shikoh," a folio from the Late Shah Jahan Album (1650-
1658). The painting is created using watercolor, gold, and ink on paper and is
part of the Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection.
Below the image, the text discusses how significant historical events have
influenced art production. It mentions key discoveries, such as fire and the shift
from the geocentric to the heliocentric model of the universe, emphasizing how
human innovation and the search for glory have shaped history and artistic
expression.
Figure 34. Francisco de Goya, "El Trea de Mayo" (1814) Oil on canvas. Museo del
Prado Collection
The passage discusses how history shapes art, using Goya's *El Tres de Mayo*
to illustrate how artworks document significant events and ideologies. Artists'
subject choices are influenced not only by personal preference but also by
patrons, artistic trends, and societal norms. In the Philippines, Spanish colonial
art initially served religious purposes but later shifted to secular themes due to
economic and social changes, such as the Suez Canal's opening. This led to a
rise in commissioned portraits by wealthy families, shaping the careers of artists
like Simon Flores, Justiniano Ascuncion, and Antonio Malantic.
Content in Art
Art historian Erwin Panofsky developed a method for interpreting meaning, later
known as Iconology.
Understanding art involves different levels of meaning:
1. Factual Meaning – The basic, recognizable elements in the artwork and how they
relate to each other.
Example:
Mona Lisa- meaning of this painting is that it depicts the wife of Francesco del Giocondo
2. Conventional Meaning – The widely accepted interpretation based on signs,
symbols, motifs, and other ciphers conventions established over time.
Examples:
Flag: a symbol of nation
Cross: Symbol of Christianity
Crescent Moon: A symbol of Islam
3. Subjective Meaning– Personal interpretations influenced by an individual's
knowledge, experiences, and values.
Example:
One person might find a painting beautiful, while the other person might find it ugly
References
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