Intro to Humanities : Teacher Notes

Define : Humanities The branches of learning concerned with human thought and relations, especially literature, philosophy, fine arts, and history.
The humanities are concerned with the understanding and integration of all human thought and accomplishment.
Fields of study including English, literature, languages, philosophy, classics, history, music, fine arts, theater, and religion.
A field of study which emphasizes an analysis of and exchange of ideas on /about art.
Define : Art
The product of human creativity
A form of human activity created primarily as an aesthetic expression
Objects created by humans that have aesthetic value or express symbolic meaning
Objects or ideas created by humans which tell/show what we are thinking or feeling
What we try to do is study the historical period to figure out how it created or allowed for the Cultural Style
Remember, I dont know what art is but I know what I like
For class it is important to control your feelings about a work of art (your rapture)
There are two approaches to the study of various works of art
1. Formal or formalist examine the what of the painting. Line, shape, color, textures, composition, artists ability & medium.
2. Contextual Analysis Focus on the why of the painting. Why was it created, in response to what cultural & historic events,
political & religious forces & trends, who is the artist, where were they working (even who they worked for) how it fits in
with other works from the same genre.
BUT we will use an Integrated Approach that combines both styles. That makes this an art class & a history class!! This will
give us a more complete picture of how & why art was created.
Note the various types of perspective found on pgs xxiv. For this class the historical perspective is the most important *& most
often used.
Analysis Terms :
Audience Who the work is for
Composition arrangement of elements (in music it is also the process of creating the work!!)
Content subject matter of the work (myth, religion, history, current event, personal history)
Context the setting in which it was done (Picassos Guernica p. 542. Was made as a protest of the Spanish Civil War) the
conditions that led to the work
Convention agreed upon practice, device, technique or form (note the example)
Genre class to which the artwork belongs ( an impressionist painting) its particular style, form & content
Medium the material form of the work. (oils or watercolors, bronze or marble)
Style Combo of elements in term of both form & style (Renaissance, cubism, classical, baroque)
Technique the procedure (way) in which the art work is performed
Theme Dominant Idea of the work. What the artist is hoping to convey (the horror & hopelessness of Guernica)
Music is much harder (for some people) to analyze because you have to pay careful attention for a period of time!! As opposed to
seeing something!!