HW in English IV

1. What is a debate?
Debate is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of
argument than deductive reasoning, which only examines whether a conclusion is a
consequence of premises, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case,
or rhetoric, which is a technique of persuasion.
2. What is the purpose of a debate?
The purpose of debate is to make the best argument to prove that your point is right and the other
persons' point is wrong. Unlike in a normal dialogue whose purpose is to understand and explore
each point of view with an open mind, you are trying to prove that the other person is wrong and
that your idea is better than his
3. What is an Asian Parliamentary debate?
An Asian style parliamentary debate is the most modern form of debating in practice in India
and the Asian countries. A parliamentary debate is a 3-on3 team debate where each team
consisting of 3 members debate against each other in a pre-set format.
4. Why is it important to follow a debate structure during a debate?
It is important to follow a debate structure during a debate because following one will make the
debate run smoothly and orderly.
 ART

Submitted by: Wilvien Palo M. Rivera

Submitted to: Sir Daniel Sison
European Artist: Leonardo Da Vinci

Biography:

Leonardo was born on April 15 1452, "at the third hour of the night" in the Tuscan hill town of Vinci, in
the lower valley of the Arno River in the territory of the Republic of Florence. He was the out-of-wedlock
son of the wealthy Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci, a Florentine legal notary, and Caterina, a
peasant. His full birth name was "Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci", meaning "Leonardo, (son) of (Mes)ser
Piero from Vinci". The inclusion of the title "ser" indicated that Leonardo's father was a gentleman.

Leonardo spent his first five years in the hamlet of Anchiano in the home of his mother, then from 1457
lived in the household of his father, grandparents and uncle, Francesco, in the small town of Vinci. His
father had married a sixteen-year-old girl named Albiera, Ser Piero married four times and produced
children by his two later marriages. Leonardo's seven brothers were later to argue with him over the
distribution of his father's estate.

At the age of about fourteen Leonardo was apprenticed by his father to the artist Andrea del Verrocchio.
Leonardo was eventually to become a paid employee of Verrocchio's studio. During his time there,
Leonardo met many of the most important artists to work in Florence in the late fifteenth century
including Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Pietro Perugino. Leonardo helped Verrocchio paint The
Baptism of Christ, completed around 1475. According to Vasari, Verrocchio, on seeing the beauty of the
angel that his young pupil had painted, never painted again.

Florence was at this time a republic, but the city was increasingly under the influence of a single
powerful family, the Medici. Lorenzo de' Medici, who came to be known as "Lorenzo the Magnificent".
In 1481 Leonardo commenced an important commission, the painting of a large altarpiece for the
church of S. Donato a Scopeto. The work was never completed. Leonardo left Florence and travelled to
Milan carrying a gift from Lorenzo to the regent ruler, Ludovico Sforza. He was employed by Ludovico
from 1481 to 1499, during which time his most important works were the Virgin of the Rocks, the Last
Supper and a huge model of a horse for an equestrian monument which was never completed. Other
important events during this time were the arrival in his studio of the boy Salai in 1490, and in 1491 the
marriage of Ludovico Sforza to Beatrice d'Este for which he organized the celebrations. When Milan was
invaded by the French in 1499, Leonardo left and spent some time in Venice, and possibly Rome and
Naples before returning to Florence.

In Florence, Leonardo lived at premises of the Servite Community, and at that time drew the large
cartoon for the Madonna and Child and St Anne which attracted a lot of popular attention. He is also
reported to have had a job to do for King Louis XII of France.[9] Between 1506 and 1513 Leonardo was
once again based mostly in Milan. In 1507 Francesco Melzi joined his household as an apprentice, and
remained with him until his death. In 1513 Leonardo left Milan for Rome and was employed by the
Medici family. In 1516 he went to France as court painter to King Francis I.[9] The king gave the chateau
of Clos Luc as his home and regarded him with great esteem. It is said that the king held Leonardo's
head as he died. Leonardo is buried in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert adjacent to the Chteau d'Amboise in
France.
Analysis by art critics:

The Mona Lisa by the famous renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci is the most famous and recognized
painting on the earth. Its famous for its great simplicity, painting style, the mysterious smile etc.

This painting is also known as La Gioconda. Its a half sized portrait of a woman named Lisa Gherardini.
She was the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. This was an oil painting on poplar panel created between
1503 and 1506.

At that period the artist used a system called the pyramid design for the woman to stay calm and simple.
Leonardo placed the folded hands of the woman at the front corner of the pyramid. He used same
lighting for the face, hands and breasts. The artist used the armrest of the chair to create the illusion of
distance between the observer and the painting. The face of the subject was straightly up with her
folded arm describing her reserved mood. But she also looks directly in the eye means she would like to
say something or communicate. Some tiny details like the shadows, hair etc. helped the painting to be a
greater piece of art. Leonardo applied a new method in this painting. That is not to draw outlines. He
applied it to the corner of the mouth and the corner of the eyes. The Mona Lisa was one of the first
paintings that were drawn with imaginary landscape background. The background contains some icy
mountains, winding paths and a small bridge that shows no human presence. The curving of her hair and
clothes reflects the imaginary landscape behind her. With all these specialties, this painting was the best
creation of Leonardo da Vinci.

This painting Mona Lisa has no eyebrows. But in 2007, a French engineer researched and declared that
the Mona Lisa was painted with eyebrows. But they disappeared over time. Though some researchers
say that eyebrow plucking was not impossible that time.

My Analysis:

In the painting Mona Lisa, I can say that the subject is mysterious. I can say that she is mysterious
because when you look at her smile, you cannot easily tell if she really is smiling or not. I agree with the
people who think that her smile is mysterious because I also thought of that the first time I was able to
see a picture of this painting. It seems like her smile also has a story behind it.
Mona Lisa
American Artist: James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Biography:

James Abbott McNeill Whistler was born on July 11, 1834, in Lowell, Massachusetts. He was educated in
St. Petersburg, Russia, then attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. Establishing
himself as a painter in Paris and London, Whistler developed his distinctive style, utilizing muted colors
and simple forms. His masterpiece is largely credited as "Whistler's Mother" ("Arrangement in Grey and
Black No. 1"). Whistler died in 1903. His work later provided the inspiration for Oscar Wilde's novel The
Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)

Analysis by art critics:

This artwork is a portrait of James McNeill Whistlers mother, Anna McNeill Whistler while they were in
London in 1871. It was said that James model was not able to commit to the job and it was during this
time that James decided to do his mothers portrait. There was a lot of experimentation before the
creation of this famous painting. James Whistler wanted his mother to pose for him while standing up
but it proved to be too tiresome for her.

It was in this painting that Whistler was able to express his style in tonal composition and harmony. At
first glance the painting appears simple. However, upon closer inspection the artwork indeed portrays a
balance between the different shapes in the picture. Whistler was able to achieve harmony in the
composition of this artwork. He was able to use the right rectangular shape for the picture on the wall,
the floor and on the curtains. The result of this was a better and stable view of his mothers face, dress
and chair.

This painting received mixed reactions from different art critics during its time. It was said that the
colors and pose of Whistlers mother was a symbolism of a grave sentiment of mourning. This critique
may have come from the dark colors that the artist used to create the piece. Others view this amazing
work of art as a perfect symbolism of motherhood. No matter how many times this painting is viewed,
you can be sure that it depicts a different emotion each time. Today, Whistlers Mother has proved to be
one of the most famous paintings in history.

My Analysis:

It was said that the subject in this painting is the mother of the painter so I think that this painting was
really made by James to express his love for his mother. In the painting, James mother was painted
when she was resting on a chair. For me, it symbolizes peacefulness because of the colors used and the
location which is their house .It also shows love for mothers.
Whistlers Mother
Filipino Artist: Fernando Amorsolo

Biography:

Fernando Amorsolo was born on May 30, 1892 in the Paco neighborhood, when Manila was still under
Spanish sovereignty, to Pedro Amorsolo, a book keeper, and Bonifacia Amorsolo ne Cueto. Amorsolo
spent his childhood in Daet, Camarines Norte, where he studied in a public school and was tutored at
home in Spanish language reading and writing. After his father's death, Amorsolo and his family moved
to Manila to live with Don Fabin de la Rosa, his mother's cousin and a Philippine painter. At the age of
13, Amorsolo became an apprentice to De la Rosa, who would eventually become the advocate and
guide to Amorsolo's painting career. During this time, Amorsolo's mother embroidered to earn money,
while Amorsolo helped by selling water color postcards to a local bookstore for ten centavos each.
Between 1909 and 1914, Amorsolo enrolled at the Art School of the Liceo de Manila, where he earned
honors for his paintings and drawings.

After graduating from the Liceo, he entered the University of the Philippines' School of Fine Arts, where
De la Rosa worked at the time. During college, Fernando Amorsolo's primary influences were the
Spanish people court painter Diego Velzquez, John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn, Claude Monet, Pierre-
Auguste Renoir, but mostly his contemporary Spanish masters Joaqun Sorolla Bastida and Ignacio
Zuloaga. Amorsolo's most notable work as a student at the Liceo was his painting of a young man and a
young woman in a garden, which won him the first prize in the art school exhibition during his
graduation year.To make money during school, Amorsolo joined competitions and did illustrations for
various Philippine publications, including Severino Reyes first novel in Tagalog language, Parusa ng
Diyos ("Punishment of God"), Iigo Ed. Regalado's Madaling Araw ("Dawn"), as well as illustrations for
editions of the Pasion. Amorsolo graduated with medals from the University of the Philippines in 1914.

Analysis by art critics:

The painting is set on a rice field wherein farmers, regardless of their gender, are on with their usual
work under a bright sunny day. Its visual weight is light because the colors used were mostly pastel in
nature. No dark colors were used to produce a feeling of calm and peace. Even though rice planting is
definitely hard work, the painting made it look like a simple work and fine day to be out.

It was an ideal picture of provincial life like most of his paintings. The particular genre that was used is
realism. He painted the details as to how it might look like in real life. However, faces of the farmers
were not vividly detailed because their Buri hats covered them. Supposing that the sun was on its peak
in that picture.

My Analysis:

For me, this painting shows the way the Filipinos plant rice and that it is already part of their lives. It also
shows happiness and contentment in their simple but peaceful lives. This can be observed when you
look to their faces.
Planting Rice
Filipino Artist: Juan Luna

Biography:

Born on October 23, 1857 in the town of Badoc in Ilocos Norte, Juan was the son of Don Joaquin Luna de
San Pedro y Posadas and Doa Laureana Novicio y Ancheta. Juans early interest in art was due to the
influence of his brother, Manuel, who was also a painter. He received his degree in Bachelor of Arts at
Ateneo de Manila and enrolled later at Escuela Nautica de Manila where he became a sailor. This did not
stop Luna from his pursuit in developing his artistic skills. He took lessons under the famous painting
teacher Lorenzo Guerrero and also enrolled at Academia de Dibujo y Pintura under the Spanish artist
Agustin Saez.

In 1877, Juan Luna traveled to Europe to continue his studies and enrolled at Escuela de Bellas Artes de
San Fernando. It was in 1881 when he received his first major achievement as an artist and this is
through winning a silver medal at the Exposicin Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Demonstration of
Fine Arts) with his work The Death of Cleopatra. From there, he continued to gain recognition and
respect as an artist. Juan Luna kept on impressing the European and Filipino society through the
Exposicin Nacional de Bellas Artes with outstanding works such as the Spolarium which won gold in
1884 and Battle at Lepanto in 1887.

Analysis by art critics:

The painting shows a tragic event, definitely. But it also shows a deeper meaning, especially for the
Filipinos during the time of the Spanish colonization (which lasted over 400 years!). According to art
experts, the fallen gladiators who are being dragged are the Filipino people, while the men dragging
them into the darkness are representative of the Spanish rule. The woman crouched on the right side of
the painting is believed to be the Mother Country or the Inang Bayan who weeps for her Philippines. The
blood thirsty crowd to the left is a representation of the social cancer of that time. Truly, there is more
than meets the eye when it comes to Luna's painting.

My Analysis:

For me, the painting greatly expresses nationalism and the desire for freedom. With the colors used and
the subject in the painting, I can say that it also expresses great sorrow. In the painting, there are bodies
of gladiators in Rome that are being carried away after the fight and there is also a crying woman near
them. I also think that it was made to serve as an eye opener to those who will view it.
The Spoliarium