Professional Documents
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I. HUMANITIES IN GENERAL
What makes a Human Person?
A human person, speaking from diverse perspectives, is a complex individual. Different voices and viewpoints
tell us what a human person is and can be, but they can never perfectly define a human person, but can only
describe it.
Philosophically, a human person can be described as an individual substance of a rational nature, which
literally means that being rational (or using ones mind) makes us different from other species of animals.
Hence, education is important because it sharpens and trains the human mind to achieve its maximum
potential. It trains the person to accommodate the wide ocean of information and live according to it.
Yet studies are not the end-all of human existence. Man is not only limited to being rational, but they are also
persons with a spirit that spurs them to creativity and innovation, which further defines their individuality and
also their solidarity with the human race. Man is also a creative and innovative person: out of it were born the
forms of creative expression and output which enriched individual human lives and institutions from past to
present. The learning, understanding, creation or performance of creative human skills are under the umbrella
of Humanities.
Humanities: Definition and Scope
The word Humanities comes from the Latin term humanus which literally means a human being. It also
describes the different branches of study that deal with the formation and development of a cultured and
refined human person.
Humanities deals with the branches of knowledge that examine the most human in man; with faculties that
distinguish man from other creatures such as thought, language, the capacity for artistic creation, freedom, and
personal history. A society that neglects the humanities loses its direction and fails to discover meaning in the
world.
Humanities: Its Various Disciplines
At present, here is a list of subjects often covered in a humanities course:
I. THE ARTS 4. Literary Arts a. Poetry b. Prose
1. Visual Arts: a. Painting b. Sculpture c.
Architecture II. PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION
2. Auditory Arts: a. Music 1. Mental Philosophy (in general) and Logic
3. Performing Arts: a. Theater/Drama b. Dance 2. Philosophy of Man and Society
c. Film 3. Philosophy of God/Religion (World Religions)
Plato, an IDEALIST philosopher, said that art is an For the Romantics, art is primarily an expression of
imitation of an imitation. In his work, Republic, he the feelings of the artist, an expression of a deeper
uses the example of a bed. The painting of a bed reality.The best way to interpret art is to understand
is a copy of an actual bed, which is but a the original intention of the artist: (remember our
representation of the ideal form of the bed By last lesson on CONTEXT?)
doing so, he further separates art from (his
1. Leo Tolstoy- art is the contagion (infection,
supposed conception of) reality, thus making it very
pagpanakod) of feeling or intentions of the artist
inferior or poor.
towards his intended audience.
b. Aristotle
One asks: What do I feel when I
The father of REALISM, Aristotle said that art is still look/see/hear/touch this thing?
an imitation, but for him it comes from the real or
2. Benedetto Croce- art Is the expression of
actual world (there is NO ideal world for Aristotle).
emotion. Emotions, for him, is a primal form of
Art, for him, is a MIRROR OF REALITY around or
knowledge. When expressed and evoked in art, the
within us.
emotional aspects often take on its full strength
THE ROMANTICS
For example, does any of you remember being 1. The Psychoanalytic Movement (Sigmund
touched by a simple video, or crying over a very Freud): Art unearths hidden drives,
sentimental movie? intentions, desires, etc.
3. R.G Collingwood- The original intention is the 2. The Marxist Movement: Art is based on
ART, not the produced ART FORM. What truly is art economic realities and socio-economic
is how the person thinks before he creates. inequalities.
For example, we can have people who are so vivid Other movements: feminism, sexism, racism,
in their thinking, but cannot express themselves speciesism, etc.
using classic methods of art: they can PAINT a
THE FORMALISTS
story in their head, but can never EXPRESS one.
1. Impressionists (Monet, Renoir, etc.)
THE EXPRESSIONISTS AND CUBISTS
Art is based on immediate visual impressions
1. Vincent Van Gogh- Instead of trying to
which is rendered impersonally.
reproduce exactly what I see before my
eyes, I use color to express myself more 2. Formalists (Kant, Levi- Strauss, Derrida)
forcibly
Amputate the art from the artist- only the formal
2. Henri Matisse- What I am after above all is elements compose the art, not the intent nor the
expression. message.
THE FREUDIANS AND THE MARXISTS
The Blaan are one of the indigenous peoples of Southern Mindanao, known for their brasswork,
beadwork and the textile tinalak or tnalak. These people wear colorful embroidered native costumes
and beadwork accessories.
The Kalinga are called the peacocks of the north because of their attention to appearance and
dressing. Kalinga is a landlocked province of northern Cordillera, Philippines. Kalinga means enemy,
a name that the bordering inhabitants called this tribe because of their headhunting attacks. The name
stuck and became accepted by the natives themselves.
The T'boli distinguish themselves from other Tribal Groups by their colorful clothes, bracelets and
earrings, this tribe is famous for their complicated beadwork, wonderful woven fabrics and beautiful
brass ornaments.
The Bagobo are proud people with proto Malayan features. They have ornate traditions in weaponry
and other metal arts. They are noted for their skill in producing brass articles through the ancient lost-
wax process. These people also weave abacca cloths of earth tones and make baskets that are
trimmed with beads, fibers and horse's hair.
How does Philippine folk (indigenous) art reflect nature and the life of the common folk?
Philippine folk (indigenous) art reflects nature and the life of the common folk through various media
techniques and processes based on the factors of time, climate, resources, ideas and historical and
cultural context.
B. ART OF THE SPANISH COLONIAL ERA
We subdivide our discussion into the following topics:
1. Religious Art, Iconography and 3. Secular Architecture
Architecture
4. Music and Drama
2. Visual Arts
SPANISH RELIGIOUS ART AND ARCHITECTURE
Most surviving examples of Spanish art are often religious (and specifically Catholic) in nature. Statuary in
churches, murals and paintings, small devotional images enhance the devotional and religious life of the
faithful, and serve as their catechism (way of understanding the Christian faith) despite the fact of being
illiterate. Until now, these serve the faithful in these functions and is a moving testimony of both the skill of the
artist and the love of devotees.
Spanish religious art and architecture: TERMINOLOGY
SANTOS- carved wooden images of Christ, Mary CUADROS- (literally, images) painted sacred
or the Saints. images on panels of wood or canvas.
RELIEVES- a Spanish term for bas relief or two- ESTAMPAS- (literally, stamped images) painted or
dimensional images whose features are carved in block printed sacred images in pieces of paper. It
stone or wood. may also appear sometimes on food items (like the
famous Sanniculas cookies, on which an image of
RETABLOS- An assemblage of santos and rilieves,
St. Nicholas of Tolentino, patron of the sick and the
usually as the frontispiece (front piece) of a church
dying, is stamped into)
altar.
ORFEBRERIA- (metalwork) metalworks used to
MURALS- or simply, wall paintings. Walls are
ornament images, or as sacred vessels
coated with a primer (usually plaster-of-paris) and
painted over for stability.
SPANISH ARCHITECTURE
The Spaniards introduced to the Filipino people the 3. Stone-paved roads and bridges- blocks of stone
use of bricks, stone and mortar which strengthened were used as pavements for roads and for bridges
buildings and residences amidst the passing used for the accessibility of people and goods
elements. towards established cities.
They also introduced different stone structures They also introduced the following architectural
such as the following: styles in the Philippines, namely:
1. fortresses- these are fortified stone structures 1. Baroque- Is the use of grandiose architectural
which serve as seats of government or the armed features and effects to accentuate the space.
forces (ex. Fort Santiago)
2. Rococo- A later development of the Baroque era
2. bahay na bato- made of a mixture of stone, which featured intensified architectural figures and
plaster and wood which provided residents a safer shapes along with the usage of gold.
and stronger structure and cool air amidst hot
3. Gothic- Traced back to Medieval times, the
weather. (ex. The stone houses of Vigan and
Gothic architecture featured arches and buttresses
others)
which soar to heights. It is also characterized by
simple and unelaborated spaces.
4. Romanesque- A derivation of Roman fortified walls for the strength and durability of the
architecture which used heavy columns and structure.
SPANISH COLONIAL MUSIC, DRAMA AND DANCES
1. MUSIC
Among the things introduced by the Spanish colonizers in the field of music are the following.
RELIGIOUS MUSIC
1. Gregorian Chant- the liturgical music of the Church from the medieval era to the Second Vatican Council.
This music was used for the celebration of the Sacraments.
2. Devotional melodies and hymns- which served to instruct the people and make Church teachings more
understandable. Examples: Pasyon (a narrative of the Lords Passion), which consists of near-hypnotic tones
which make familiarization of the story easier.
Secular Drama
a. Komedya- a stage play with various themes and genres, and is usually filled with spectacular or comic
effects, staged fighting, and the like to impart morals or to spread message to viewers.
b. Moro-Moro- a play which illustrates the battle of medieval soldiers with Muslim rebels.
c. Zarzuela- The sarswela is a play in prose (less often, poetry) with songs and dances, containing from
one to five acts, portraying Filipino types and situations within the framework of a love story, and
incorporating contemporary issues.
Other examples: Duplo (an ancestor of the balagtasan), Karagatan (a process of selecting a husband, where
the womans ring is thrown into the sea, and whoever gets it becomes her husband)
3. DANCES (among many others) 1. Carinosa 2. Pandanggo sa Ilaw 3. La Jota (with regional variants)
SECULAR VISUAL ARTS
Later on in the Spanish Era, there increased a new class of Filipino persons, of middle class, oftentimes born
mestizo (with a Spanish parent), which gradually became great art patrons. Artists painted according to their
tastes, and one of the genres they used was secular art. Aside from self-portraits or paintings of sceneries,
these ilustrados followed the Spanish trend of making letras y figuras or letters with figures of people and
things as dcor.
In 1821, Damian Domingo opened the first formal fine arts school in the country in his house, the Academia de
Dibujo (Academy of Art). Other ilustrados had the privilege of travelling to Spain to study fine arts. Two famous
artists who studied arts in Spain were Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo.
Famous works: Felix Hidalgo, Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho (The Christian Virgins
Exposed to the (Roman) Public). Juan Luna, Spoliarium, 1884
C. ART OF THE AMERICAN PERIOD
The Americans brought in Education and Values Formation, with both following the American way of life
(Alice Guillermo, Sining Biswal, 1994, p. 4). Art Illustration, Advertising and Commercial Design gained
popularity and incorporated in Fine Arts. Painting themes still largely favored Genre Paintings, Landscapes and
Still Life; Portraits are reserved for high ranking officials with a more academic approach to make the subject
more formal.
STYLES OF AMERICAN ART (whether for architecture, visual arts, etc.)
1. Neoclassicism- Neoclassical architecture, revival of Classical architecture during the 18th and early 19th
centuries. It is a response to the excesses of the Baroque and Rococo periods: simplicity was preferred over
lavish decoration. (example: the City Hall of Davao.
2. Art Deco also called style moderne, movement in the decorative arts and architecture that originated in the
1920s and developed into a major style in western Europe and the United States during the 1930s. It
characterized by simple, clean shapes, often with a streamlined look; ornament that is geometric or stylized
from representational forms; and unusually varied, often expensive materials. (example: the Metropolitan
Theater of Manila).
3. Art Nouveau- a style of decorative art, architecture, and design prominent in western Europe and the US
from about 1890 until World War I and characterized by intricate linear designs and flowing curves based on
natural forms. (example: Uy- Chaco Building)
FILIPINO ARTISTS DURING THE AMERICAN PERIOD:
With the coming of the Americans also was the birth of the greatest Filipino painters and artists who readily
adapted the trending art forms of the world and suited them to Filipino taste.
1. Fabian dela Rosa- the brightest name in Philippine painting after Luna and certainly the leading Master of
Genre in the first quarter of the century.
2. Fernando Amorsolo- a portraitist and painter of rural landscapes. He is best known for his craftsmanship and
mastery in the use of light. His art styles: Impressionism, Luminism, Realism with subjects inspired by
Philippine genre and historical, nudes and society portraits.
3. Guillermo Tolentino- He is considered as the "Father of Philippine Arts" because of his great works like the
famous "Bonifacio Monument" symbolizing Filipinos cry for freedom and "The Oblation" in UP signifying
academic freedom .
4. The Triumvirate of Philippine Art- composed of Victorio Edades, Carlos Botong Francisco and Galo B.
Ocampo.
5. The Thirteen Filipino Moderns- Victorio Edades, Carlos Francisco, Galo B. Ocampo, Hernando R. Ocampo,
Cesar Legaspi, Diosdado Lorenzo, Vicente Manansala, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, Demetrio Diego, Ricarte
Purugunan. Bonifacio Cristobal, Arsenio Capili, Jose Prado.