THE VISUAL ARTS
 Visual Arts – refer to still, unmoving pictures, paintings, sculptures,
photographs, digital images, installation or architecture that are
created by artists.
- Representation or embodiment of an idea.
- An experience, a concept, a surge of vitality, emotion, feeling or a
result of interaction with the environment, and a product of human
thinking.
 Paintings – are usually on display inside a museum or gallery.
 Sculpture – may be put inside or outside a building.
 Digital art – composed and stored in the computer, is viewed
electronically. Can be printed.
 Illustration art – requires the viewer to look at the work in all its
angles and sides or interact with it.
 In Architecture – it is necessary to enter the building and move
around it for the viewer to experience its scale and space and have a
sense of the effect of its material on the architecture itself.
 Visual images – are made by arranging elements and organizing the
design using selected materials for art-making.
Elements of the Visual Arts
1. Line – is used to lead the viewer’s eye throughout the artwork. It can
lead your eyes into, around, and out of the visual images within the
artistic frame.
- has width and length. The length usually occupies more space than
width.
- Evokes expressive feelings and ideas.
- 5 basic kinds of lines:
a) Vertical Line – move straight up or down. Express stability and
show dignity, poise, stiffness, formality and upward mobility.
b) Horizontal Line – are parallel to the horizon. Express feelings of
rest, peace, quiet and stability, permanence or solidarity. Make
you feel relaxed and calm.
c) Diagonal Line – slant, as if they are either rising or falling.
d) Curved Line – slowly change direction and form wiggly curves,
spirals or circles.
e) Zigzag Line – combine diagonal lines that form angles and
suddenly change direction
- 5 ways lines vary in some appearances:
a) Length – lines can either be long or short
b) Width – lined can be thick or thin
c) Texture – lines can be rough or smooth
d) Direction – lines can move in any direction, such as vertical,
horizontal, or diagonal.
e) Degree of curvature – lines can curve gradually or not at all, from
spirals or circles.
2. Shapes and Forms
- Shape – is a two-dimensional area that is defined in some way. It may
have an outline or a boundary around it, or it may cover an area.
- 2 types of shape:
a) Geometric shapes – are the kind of shapes that can be studied
mathematically because they possess sides and angles. (eg.
Circle, square, triangle, oval, etc)
b) Free-form shapes – shapes that are not studied mathematically
because of their irregular and uneven shapes. They have outlines
that are unpredictably curved or angular or are a combination of
different lines and forms.
- Dimension – refers to the amount of space an object takes up in one
direction.
3. Texture – refers to how things feel when touched.
- Tactile texture – the experience when you touch something to feel its
texture.
- Visual texture – when you look at a photograph or an image that has
a texture, it can remind you of how those objects actually feel. The
illusion of a three-dimensional surface.
- the appearance of roughness or smoothness a visual texture is
determined by the light or dark values it has.
- Rough texture – appears as a result of surface that reflects light
unevenly
- Smooth texture – reflects light evenly
4. Color – is an element of art that results from the light waves reflected
from objects to your eyes.
- Warm colors – red, orange, yellow, are associated with warm things
such as fire or sunlight. This color seemed to be moving close to the
viewer.
- Cool colors – blue, green, violet, are associated with cool things such
as ice, snow, water, or grass. Have a receding effect. Moving away.
- 3 properties of color:
a) Hue – is the name of a specific color in the color spectrum or the
bands of color that are present in the color wheel.
 Yellow – lightest hue because it reflects the most light.
 Violet – is the darkest hue because it reflects the least light
 Black, white, gray – are neutral colors
 White – reflects all the color waves and does not absorb
any. The colors of all the light create white.
i. Primary hues – red, yellow, blue
ii. Secondary hues – orange, violet, green. Are made by
mixing two primary colors. (Red&Yellow=Orange,
Red&Blue=Violet, Blue&Yellow=Green)
iii. Intermediate colors – are made by mixing a primary
color with its secondary color. (red&orange=red
orange)
b) Value – is indicated through the lightness or darkness of a color.
The amount of light a color reflects determines its color value.
You can change the value of any hue by adding black or white.
 Tint – light value of a hue
 Shade – dark value of a hue
 Chiaroscuro – the arrangement of light and shadow. In
Italian, Chiaro (bright) and Oscuro (dark). Today, it is most
commonly known as Shading.
c) Intensity – is the brightness or dullness of a hue.
 High-intensity Color – a pure or bright hue
 Low-intensity Color – dull hues
 Color scheme – artists organize colors following this to
avoid a confusing or unpleasant way of putting colors
together
 Color schemes may be:
i. Monochromatic Color scheme – uses only one hue.
White and black are added in varying degrees to show
the different shades and tints of the hue.
ii. Analogous Colors – are found side by side within the
color wheel.
iii. Complementary Colors – are colors opposite each
other on the color wheel.
iv. Split Complement – is the combination of one hue and
the hues on each side of its complement
5. Space and Movement
- Space – refers to both outer space and inner space, the emptiness or
area between, around, above, below or within objects. It may be flat
and two-dimensional, such as in painting, or three-dimensional, such
as in a monumental sculpture.
- Positive space – is the area occupied by shapes or forms.
- Negative spaces – are the empty spaces between the shapes or
forms.
- Movement – is shown through the direction of line or the
arrangement of color within the artistic frame. (eg. smallest to
biggest, etc.)
Principles of Organization
- The order in an artwork is its organization. Order follows a plan that
guides the arrangement of objects and images in the artistic frame.
- The organization is based entirely on repetition and variety of the
elements.
- The plan may be:
a) Pyramidal Plan – takes a triangular composition
b) Symmetrical Plan – has two sides of the plan similar and
relatively equal.
c) Vertical Plan – consists of a single vertical figure and/or other
object
d) Radial Plan – shows the lines of the picture forming radii which
meet at a point in the center
1. Unity and Harmony
- Harmony – creates unity by showing similarities of separate but
related parts.
- Unity – is oneness that is achieved through the effective use of the
elements of art and principles or organization. Guides the viewers
eyes to focus on a visual image.
- Harmony and Unity result from the artistic combination and
arrangement of the elements of art within the artistic frame or space.
2. Variety – refers to the difference or contrast of elements or objects
within an artwork. It makes an artwork interesting rather that dull or
monotonous. Adding something different to a design such as colors,
lines etc.
3. Rhythm – is the repetition of design, line or other elements within the
frame. May be created by equal or regular repetition of patterns or
decorative shapes
  Visual rhythm – indicates movement and suggests unity of form
by the repetition of elements. It is created by the repeated
positive shapes or forms separated by negative spaces or
intervals.
 Alternating rhythm – this is created when there is an original
motif or pattern of shapes followed by a second motif.
 Flowing rhythm – this is created by the repetition of curved lines
or waves
 Progressive pattern – shows shapes or patterns repeating in
varying sizes or varying intensity of color
4. Proportion - is the aspect of organization that has to do with the
comparative size of the parts of a single work. It is the relative
relationship of shapes to other shapes within the artistic frame in
terms of size, degree, number, etc.
 Greek rule of proportion – the artists follows this, which is an
eight-heads-tall. The height of the figure consists of eight
measures of its heads.
5. Balance – sense of equilibrium. Is concerned with equalizing visual
elements in an artwork. It must be seen rather than weighed.
- Type of balance:
a) Formal balance – where equal elements are placed on the
opposite sides of a central axis. The central axis is the dividing
line located at the center of a frame.
i. Symmetry – is a kind of formal balance in which two halves
of a balance composition are identical. Express dignity,
endurance and stability.
b) Radial balance – is a variation of symmetry in which the
elements of a design come out from the central point of the
circle.
c) Informal balance or Asymmetry – is the opposite of formal
balance. Here, there is a balance of unlike objects and there are
no elements that appear to be equal halves or sides. Relies on
the arrangement of objects.
6. Perspective – is a graphic system that creates the illusion of depth
and volume on a two-dimensional surface.
a) Atmospheric Perspective – is achieved through the use of color.
i. Brightly colored objects seem closer to you
ii. Dull-colored objects seem to be farther.
b) Linear perspective – shows distance and depth. The lines
converge (as they go farther) at the vanishing point which is
located somewhere on the horizontal line.
- Proportion – a technique used in human figures that is similar to
perspective.
- Foreshortening of bodily proportion is used to make a drawing look
more naturalistic.
The Analysis of Visual Arts
1. Form – encompasses the elements of art and the principles of
organization that guide the artists in art-making. It refers to the
physical aesthetic qualities of the image.
- Elements of art – in this chapter, this includes the qualities that we
experience through our senses: line, shape and forms, texture, color,
space and movement.
- The principles of organization – show how sensory properties are
organized to achieve a sense of unity and harmony, variety, rhythm,
proportion, balance, and perspective.
2. Medium – refers to the materials used by the artist. Vary in different
art forms.
i. Paintings – oil, watercolor, acrylic poster paint, fresco or
tempera.
ii. Sculpture – wood, plaster, marble, clay, tactile materials
- Popular Mediums:
a) Drawing – this two-dimensional art can be done using chalk,
charcoal, pastel or pencil and ink on paper.
i. Chalk – allows you to have a variety of tonal areas. Through
the use of heavy or light pressure, you create a blend of
shades.
ii. Charcoal – is burnt wood and therefore creates smudge
easily on paper
iii. Pastels – comes light and pale color chalks. The dust it
creates on paper can remain through the use of Fixative
Spray.
b) Painting in Oil – is the most popular medium in two-dimensional
expression because it offers a wide variety of colors.
c) Watercolor Painting – enables the artist to do transparent
painting on paper.
d) Acrylic – dissolves in water and uses acrylic polymer as a binding
agent.
e) Prints – Has 3 categories:
i. Relief printing – such as woodcut, wood engraving,
collograph and linoleum art
ii. Intaglio – includes etching and aquatint
iii. Planographic process – includes lithography and serigraphy
(silkscreen) and other forms of stenciling.
f) Photography – is done with a camera. An image is captured
through the lens of camera and is printed on photographic
paper. The material used was from film to digital.
i. Films – comes from cartridge rolls that are easily mounted
inside the camera box.
ii. Digital photography – emerged through technological
developments in computer systems
g) Clay – is a medium used in sculpture. It comes in 3 forms:
i. Earthenware – which can be sun-baked or kiln-baked
ii. Stoneware – goes through much higher firing that vitrifies
the clay so that it becomes close-grained and non-porous
iii. Porcelain – which imparts a smooth finish, color and
decorative effects.
h) Metal and bronze – require casting which involves making a
mould of terracotta and then plaster of paris, inserting a core and
pouring in the molten metal or bronze.
i) Wood – commonly used in the PH. Examples of woods: narra,
batikuling, kamagong, langka, santol, marang, molave.
j) Other mediums – origami, junks, shells etc.
- Stone & Brick – can withstand compression forces without crushing
out of shape.
3. Subject Matter – is what the artwork is all about. It may be a human
figure, a landscape, a commemoration of an event, or an idea or
feeling made visible through visual art
4. Style – the manner in which artists express themselves constitutes
their style. This gives us that body of characteristics that identifies an
artwork with an individual, a historical period, school of artists, or a
nation.
PAINTING
 Painting – has always decorated man’s habitat. As far back as 28,000
B.C., man started to decorate the cave walls of his dwelling in the
most precise and naturalistic manner he could.
- They are visible up to this day at Lascaux or Altamira in France and
Spain.
- Tells the stories of man.
- Important events such as victory in war, coronation of the queen,
assassination of historical figures, the first medical surgery, and
almost everything about human life are recorded through painting.
- Is making images on a surface using color. The surface may be flat
canvas or wood, or even the wall, as in the case of mural paintings.
- Is two dimensional and has height and width
 Spoliarium – in 1884, this painting by Juan Luna showcased the
Filipino courage under the Spanish regime, when they were regarded
not even as second-class citizens in their own land but indios, and
were given names not reflective of human dignity.
 Charles Fowler – he sees the art as something that can provide
meaning, a powerful tool that can move people: “They serve as
connectors that give understanding a human dimension. They tell us
about people, how they thought and felt, and what they valued. They
help us to define ourselves and our times, as well as other people and
other times”.
The Composition of Painting
- The process of painting depends upon the medium selected by the
artist.
 Oil Painting – here, the pigments are mixed with linseed oil and
applied on the surface of canvas cloth that is framed in wood.
 Figurative Paintings – here, the artists start with the dark colors and
approach the lightest hues as they progress in their work.
 Abstract – different colors can be spread on to the canvas or wood
panel using brushes or other materials such as sticks or cloth. As the
oil is slow drying, artists can retouch or redo their painting.
 Different mediums that can be used in the process of Painting:
1. Oil Paint – is accessible today in tubes and is convenient to use
indoors or carry outdoors when one wishes to paint landscapes. Can
be applied on canvas, glass, wood, metal, and even on plaster, and it
allows the artist to paint over layers of oil paint for revision or
creation of effects.
- Colors stay for a long time
- Tempera & Fresco tarnish over the years
2. Water Color Painting – the pigment is dissolved in water and applied
on watercolor paper. the layers of paint dry quickly and become
transparent. Water color painting doses not allow for correction and
unlike oil that comes with white paint. In water color, the artist leaves
out the white parts instead of coloring them. Water color painting
needs to be mounted on a glass frame.
3. Tempera Painting – mixes color pigments with egg yolk with or
without the white and applied to a panel of wood covered with
plaster of paris following the design intended by the artist.
4. Fresco – uses the method of applying paint on wet plaster of paris.
The artist prepares a coating of plaster on the wall and then draws
his/her design on it when it is dry. The he/she applies another coating
of plaster. Since the plaster dries up quickly, the artist works on a
series of panels of plaster until he/she completes the entire wall of
fresco painting.
5. Acrylic – is a modern synthetic product. It can dissolve in water and
has wide range of possibilities in both color and technique. Either
Opaque or transparent, depending on dilution, acrylics dry fast, then
and resistant to cracking under temperature and humidity extremes.
Acrylics adhere to a wider variety of surfaces and will not darken or
yellow with age, as will oil.
The Aesthetic Qualities of Selected Artworks
1. Starry Night – painting by Vincent Van Gogh that uses Line & Texture.
- This painting has rich colors of blue and white with bits of yellow in
the sky.
- The swirling lines from textured blazing, vibrant stars that cross the
sky seemingly immense speed.
- The use of rhythmic and broken lines suggests movement and action
and gives the painting a rough texture. This is in contrast with the
peaceful town that nestles in the dark land below.
- Dark lines outline the houses and church at the foreground which are
so tiny, compared to the growing stars.
- A tall, dark cypress tree crosses the left side of the canvas vertically, as
if to connect the ground plane to the sky.
- The dark vertical tree contrasts with the light color spine.
- Expressionism – is the era that followed impressionism. The
expressionist artists brought out their feelings and emotional intensity
through art. They used the technique introduced by the
impressionists characterized by bold, heavy, thick and colorful
brushstrokes.
- Impressionism – the artist captured the interplay between light and
color and painted this on their canvas using bold strokes that had bare
solidity of form and composition.
- Aesthetic qualities of the “Starry Night”:
2. The Conversion on the Way to Damascus – painting by Michelangelo
de Caravaggio that uses a skillful use of Color.
- He used shades of brown, tints of red and a little yellow to blend with
the strong light that bathes the main figure.
- This painting shows a horse and St. Paul lying flat on the ground with
his hands stretched reaching out for help. A non-believer and a
persecutor of Christians, he was stopped on his way to Damascus by a
bright light that blinded him. He was confronted by God because he
was persecuting Christians. This moment of enlightenment led his
conversion to Christianity.
- The scene was captured by Caravaggio in this painting that shows St.
Paul and the horse occupying the artistic frame entirely.
- The focus on the painting is on the lightest part then the vision of the
viewers is guided around the frame by the soft colors surrounding the
main figure.
- The cinematography of the movie “The Passion of the Christ” was
certainly influenced by Caravaggio’s skillful use of dramatic contrasts
of light and dark.
- Michelangelo de Caravaggio – was known for his portrayal of
personages and sacred scenes.
- Baroque Painting – is characterized by dramatic use of light that
usually bathes the main figure to exaggerate its contrast with the dark
background. Painting was then encouraged to arouse religious
sympathy. Popes & Reigning monarchs were the principal patrons of
art.
- Aesthetic qualities of “The Conversion on the Way to Damascus”:
3. S p o l i a r i u m
by Filipino artist Juan Luna that uses Space and Movement.
- The composition is dynamic rather than typical.
- Is an 8-meter painting that won a gold medal at the Madrid Art
Exposition in 1884.
- There are 17 figures on the left side and 2 figures on the right side. He
balanced these by:
 a) controlling the light. Light diminishes at the left side. Darkness
covers 1/3 of the frame. The strong contrast between the dark
background heightens the drama that the artwork conveys.
b) the use of diagonal composition that suggests movement. A
horizonal line guides the eye from the left side of the frame all
the way to the seated woman on the right.
- The painting is a good example of well-managed space in painting.
Prominent in the painting are two dead gladiators in ropes being
dragged by two men. A third figure is pulling another gladiator and
this is suggested by the way he grapples the ropes in his hand. Two
onlookers – very old men – are staring at the most prominent corpse,
as if trying to recognize the dead gladiators. On the left side of the
canvas are five men and two women, heads looking right, suggesting
there are more corpses being dragged into the place. Far right, there
are at least two figures visible in the dark, one lit by the small bonfire,
and the other, a woman slumped on the floor, in a mourning position.
In the dark background is a pile of human corpses.
- As one stares at the Spoliarium he/she can almost hear the wailing
crowd, smell the stench of the human dumping site, and feel the heat
in the basement of the Roman amphitheater.
- Hues of yellow, yellow ochre, orange, red, and brown, except for the
green wrap around of the mourning woman on the right side of the
frame. The four men and a corpse are wearing red and tangerine.
Luna assigned these red clothing to the four men that form a
trapezoid composition to complement the diagonal position of the
corpses.
- Painted in the classic romanticist style typical, the strong emotions
and exotic literary subjects was provided by a popular book by Charles
Louis Dezobry’s “Rome in the Time of Augustus: Adventures of a
Gaul in Rome”. In the passage of this book, the protagonist hears the
sound of lamentation coming from the Roman amphitheater and on
descending to the basement beholds a tragic scene: “the bloody
bodies of gladiators dead or dying, being mourned by their families”.
That picture of the Roman circus is what Luna chose for his colossal
canvas and the Spoliarium apotheosizes tragedy itself: the pity and
the terror.
- The mural was finished in March 1884.
- The painting carries its social content that exposes the plight of the
Filipino people under the Spanish colonizers.
- Aesthetic qualities of the “Spoliarium”:
 Eliseo Art Silva – Filipino mural painter who paints the mural
“Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana (A Glorious History, A Golden
Legacy)”
- His career in art was fashioned since his birth.
- He was christened the name “Art” and was trained by a grandfather
(who designed the family’s ancestral home and painted murals of
idyllic scenes).
- He received formal training in art at age 11 and was accepted into the
Philippine High School for the Arts – the school that specializes in
training teenagers in the different art forms.
- He used art to document community activities, particularly Filipino,
whether in the Philippines or abroad through inspection of decoding,
how cultures re-identify themselves and promote their patrimonial
resources.
- He sees art as a contemporary folk art, engaged in documenting
history. He wants to create grand narratives with intimate impact.
- The variety of materials led him to other art forms such as fresco,
mosaic tile, installation.
- This artist uses his brush to “unearth the past”.
- His creative compositions and selection of people and events included
his murals present a coherent artwork that is a great contribution to
Philippine art in foreign land.
- Most of the images in his mural were taken from photographs, Silva
modify a few things, such as in the characters involved in the Delano
Grape Strike in 1965, including a woman waving a placard whose
image was based on Francisco Van Camp of Sangley-Filipina.
- He is inspired by the paintings of Filipino national artists:
a) Carlos ‘Botong’ Francisco
b) Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo
c) Juan Luna
d) Alfonso Ossorio (Filipino-American)
e) Manuel Ocampo
f) Jose Rizal – his writings
- He admires murals by:
a) Diego Rivera (Mexican)
b) Kerry James Marshall (Mexican)
c) Goya – murals & frescoes
d) Michelangelo – murals & frescoes
e) Judy Baca – muralist activist, spokesperson for the Chicano
community, and professor at the University of California Irvine
who is best known as the director and instigator of The Great
Wall of Los Angeles.
 Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana (A Glorious History, A Golden
Legacy) – a mural by Eliseo Art Silva. This mural measures 145x25 ft. It
is made of Liquitex acrylic paint and nova colors.
- It is located at the Historic Filipino town, Los Angeles California –
where the Filipinos converge for the yearly Festival of Philippine Arts
and Culture.
- This mural painting was chosen out of 30 other entries because it
“represented a broader view of Filipino and Filipino-American history”
– According to spokesperson Lindsey Haley of the organizing body,
the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC).
- The mural was unveiled on June 24,1995 at a ceremony that featured
a typical Filipino fiesta.
- The mural shows the highlights of Philippine history, traditions,
customs and beliefs and people important to the history of Filipino-
Americans, such as Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itliong, catalysts of the
Farmworkers Movement in California.
SCULPTURE
- Ancient Greeks – made their idealized marble sculptured human
forms to honor their gods. Romans learned sculpture from the Greeks
and added more natural look to show the softness of the skin, old age,
physical defects, and other human qualities. Romans produced
sculptures to honor their great leaders, poets and other Romans
noted for sports, the arts and politics. Mythology – is also a favorite
subject matter.
 Sculpture – is the art of making figures, such as human forms, animals
or geometries that can either be standing freely or attached to a
background frame; either single or in a group.
- Three-dimensional or free-standing sculpture – When a sculpture can
stand freely, it is called ___. It shows 3-dimensional (free standing)
view of the subject so the sculptor is required to know his subject very
well.
- Are part of a community or society’s beliefs and values. They are
made to give glory to God, honor to man or provide a medium of
 human expression. Are meant for public viewing. Monuments placed 2. La Pieta – sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti that uses Proportion
outside the building to symbolize something significant, historical or & Balance.
memorial. - Shows proportion & balance through its pyramidal composition with
- Making one piece of sculpture is far more tedious than painting. It
requires strength, engineering and welding skills and great control of
the medium in use.
- Also take the form of anitos – images that represent ancestors or
gods and goddesses.
- In Africa, mask and small sculptures are believed to house the soul of
their dead and crafting of these sculptures is accompanied with a
traditional ritual attended by community members. In churches, they
are meant to inspire the believers.
 Relief Sculpture – when the figure is mounted to the background,
which may either be a frame, a wall or a flat surface.
 High Relief Sculpture – the form is embossed or raised above the
surface of the background.
 Low Relief Sculpture – the figure is raised only a little from the
background (eg. coins).
 Bas-relief Intaglio – the artist cuts into the surface or carves deep into
the material until the form is incised but not separated from the
background.

The Composition of Sculpture

- Sculpture is done either by using subtraction, construction,
substitution techniques, or any combination of these.
a) Subtraction – carved works are subtractive. Using a large block of
wood or stone, the sculptor carves out the figure or frees the
figure form imprisonment in its original block form to give it an
artistic look. First, the artist forms a miniature model in clay,
plaster of paris, wax or any other material. Then he/she makes
the figure in the desired size by carving the block of wood or
stone using chisels.
b) Construction – the sculptor chooses a base material such as thick clothing at the foot of Mary and at the tip of the triangle, her
metal, plastics, aluminum, steel or found objects and then adds head. This gives the sculpture solidity f form and a well-balanced look.
other elements to construct the idea or image that he/she wants - Is a sculpture of Mary carrying the dead Jesus Christ across her lap.
to express. These materials require welding or adhesive to be Mary has the face of a young lady. Although her head is bent looking
attached together. at her son, Mary’s face is very serene and not in mourning at all. The
c) Substitution – any material transformable from a plastic, molten lack of human expression of remorse and sadness portrays her
or fluid state can be molded or cast into a work of sculpture. spiritually and detachment from human emotions. She looks like in
First, the artist creates an identically-sized model of the intended prayer. Jesus Christ looks is shown here as a man of 33. The excessive
sculpture, called Positive. The form called Negative, becomes use of drapery made Mary look smaller.
the mold for the sculpture. The sculptor pours the molten or fluid - Michelangelo carved his name on the sash running across Mary’s
material into the negative and allows it to solidify. When the chest, but he regretted it so that he carved another version of La Pieta
mold is removed, the work of sculpture emerges. when he was older which demonstrated his humility and heartfelt
- Different mediums used in the process of sculpture. These mediums love for our Lady.
are manipulated using special sculpture tools such as: - Renaissance art, which flourished from 1400 through 1500, was a
a) Bent and Spoon gouges turning point in the history of art. The artists confronted and solved
b) U-gouges the problems of anatomy, composition, perspective and
c) Burs and accessories representation of space.
- Aesthetic qualities of the “La Pieta”:
The Aesthetic Qualities of Selected Artworks
1. Laocoon and His Sons – sculpture by Agesander, Athenodorus and
Polydorus that uses Unity & Harmony.
- Laocoon – was the priest of Apollo who warned the Trojans not to
touch the wooden horse made by the Greeks during the Trojan war.
When he and his two sons were sacrificing to Poseidon at the
seashore, two serpents emerged from the water and cursed them as a
punishment for Laocoon’s defiance of the god’s will.
- In this 3D sculpture, two figures are smaller than the father indicating
that they are sons of the main figure. The three are in action depicting
extreme pain, agony and struggle.
- Although there is contrast in the size of the three figures, Harmony is
achieved through the arrangement of the three figures. The group
sculpture is fixed and is unmoving, the sculptors were successful in
capturing an intense moment and active moment through the artist’s
skillful use of balance, unity and harmony.
- The sculpture posses the movement, naturalism and expression
characteristics of the period. Stark realism and human sufferings are
the favorite subject matter of Hellenistic sculptures.
- Aesthetic qualities of the “Laocoon and His Sons”:
3. Reclining Figure – sculpture by Henry Moore that uses Shapes &
Forms
- The spaces and forms within the sculpture itself, keep the sculpture in
perfect balance.
- Henry Moore did a series of sculptures in marble showing the human
figure in its barest form. On a reclining position resting on an elbow,
the figure’s knees are raised and the head is up facing space. The
facial features are not visible and are reduced to some eyes and nose
on the oval face. A negative form (or space) separates the legs that
join smoothly to form a solid piece.
- This 17-feet marble is too huge not to be noticed.
- 20th century sculptures portrayed distortion of the human figure and
features, as if to express the artists’ objection to the harsh realities in
the modern world.
- Cubistic forms of figures simply made of geometric parts
superimposed on one another, human figures that are devoid of
normal body shapes and facial features, sculptures became markedly
unconventional and many of them have been made from scrap metal
and industrial waste.
- Aesthetic qualities of the “Reclining Figure”:
  Eduardo Castrillo – made the sculpture of People Power
Movement
- Eduardo Castrillo inspires love of country and patriotism among the
Filipinos through his monumental scripture.
 People Power – is a nationalistic monument in huge magnitude, both
in size and meaning. It is a symbol of strength and unity where the
group of people serves as a human barricade that protects
motherland. It is also a symbol of victory as suggested by the birds
hanging onto the Philippine flag behind motherland and the
outstretched hands of several figures. The arms show lines extending
from the sculpture’s general mass, suggesting movement and action
despite its static reality.
- Is an 18-meter high monument composed of a woman that
symbolizes motherland, with outstretched arms freed from chains,
and 65 figures representing ordinary Filipino people who participated
in the peaceful revolution that overthrew the dictator Ferdinand
Marcos in 1986: the cigarette vendor, the physically disabled, the
religious, the musicians, a mother with her child, farmer, student,
soldier, and many other. Behind motherland is the PH flag.
- Eduardo Castrillo, by skillfully welding bronze sheets to form the
multi-figured monument, he was able to achieve a triangular bronze
composition supported by concrete base.
- The use of geometric shapes and distortion did not reduce its
emotional appeal. Rather, it conveys a feeling of dynamism, power
and triumph. All of his figures have their arms outstretched, lips
parted as if chanting revolutionary hymns. Adding to the drama is the
little religious image held overhead by a male figure situated right
below the motherland figure, the candles beside the disabled man
and a woman on wheelchair, and a boy holding a flower.
ARCHITECTURE
- Is defined as an art from that merges not only the requisites of
aesthetics, beauty and taste. It also unites with it concerns of science,
technology, techniques, tectonics, architectonics and engineering.
- As a human endeavor, it deals with the study of behavioral science,
sociology, and anthropology. Later on, it was evolved to
environmental design, urban design, interior design, city planning,
space planning and landscape architecture.
- The study of architecture is invariably linked to the study of mankind,
for the evolution of mankind is one of survival and innovation.
- One such advancement that mankind invented for his survival is the
building of dwellings that are safe from the vagaries of weather and
predators. Later on, the attempt to provide beauty and aesthetics to
the surroundings.
- Provides not only immense pleasure but also mankind’s imprint upon
the laud, society, people and himself.
How architecture is done
- A structure’s design is determined by its function or purpose, who and
how many will use it, the space allotted for it, as well as financial
considerations.
The Aesthetic Qualities of Selected Artworks
1. The Colosseum – uses Classic Orders & Arches
- Is designed with an oval plan with tiers of seats that accommodated
50,000 spectators. The seats were supported by vaults and arches.
Each arch was supported by a column.
- The architecture in the colosseum is unique in that the three major
classical orders are represented flanking its arches.
- Is defined by the use of its Travertine cladding
- Aesthetic qualities of the “The Colosseum”:
2. Palais de Versailles – The Revival of the Classical Orders, Magnitude
and Layout in the ___.
- An example of Baroque architecture in France is the expansive Palais
de Versailles outside Paris.
- Built for Louis XIV by Louis le Vau who designed a palace around the
old hunting chateau erected by Salomon de Brosse for Louis XIII, it
was later expanded by Jules Hardouin Mansart by extending the
building north and south forming a building 402 meters long.
- The magnificent Galerie des Glaces by Mansart is (73x10x13) meters
long, wide, high.
- The formal gardens laid out by Andre le Notre, on axial lines cleverly
manipulated to give vistas of avenues and water canals.
- The great garden designs by Norte were among France’s finest
contribution to European culture.
- Aesthetic qualities of the “Palais de Versailles”:

3. Kaufmann House (Falling Water) – by Frank Lloyd Wright.

- Nature and the use of Concrete and Rough Stone