An Introduction

to the Study of
Art Appreciation
Journeys through the world of Art

The Night Watch (1642)

Rembrandt
Prepared by Art Appreciation Instructors 2020
THE HUMANITIES

Art and Culture Languages

Literature
Politics
Philosophy
Anthropology
Archaeology
Human Geography
History
Religion
Law
Apollo and Daphne (1622-1625)
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
 THE HUMANITIES

From the Latin term

“Humanus” which
means Human, Culture,
Refined.
Generally, human
beings possess and
show quality like
rationality, kindness,
and tenderness.

Plato
 THE HUMANITIES
Such basic qualities of
humans gain different
connotations based on
one’s environment, values,
beliefs and experiences.
They are the contributing
factors to the refinement
of human’s basic qualities.
The humanities are those
studies that are directly
concerned with human
values.
Manneken Pis (1619)
Jerôme Duquesnoy
 THE HUMANITIES
Unlike the sciences, which
are expressed through
numbers and symbols,
human values can be,
felt, and expressed in
subtle and enduring ways.
In the medieval period
the word “Humanities”
distinguished that which
pertained to humans from
that which pertained to
God.
Salvator Mundi (c. 1490-1500)
Leonardo da Vinci
 THE HUMANITIES

Humanists of the Renaissance

stated that humanities
pertains to the intrinsic value
of man's life on earth.
Humanities covers a broad
area of human creativity but
are distinct from
mathematics and the “hard”
sciences. The separation
between the humanities and
the sciences is illustrated in
the way values work
differently in the two areas.
La Scapigliata (1506-1508)
Leonardo da Vinci
 THE HUMANITIES

Both the scientist and the

humanist must make value
judgments. The development of
powerful weapons is seen as a
positive development for the
scientist - because of the many
possibilities the development of
the weapon might bring.

On the other hand the humanist

might see the development of
powerful weapons as a bad
thing that will eventually affect
or even destroy a culture,
people and an entire lifestyle.
St. John the Baptist (1513)
Leonardo da Plato
Vinci
 THE HUMANITIES

While science deals mainly

with facts, the humanities
go beyond facts.
Humanities go beyond the
facts about a work of art
and get to the values
implied in the work. We
learn to recognize the
values expressed in such
works as well as to
understand the ways in
which they are expressed.
Medusa (1595-1598)
Plato
Caravaggio
 THE HUMANITIES

Though science as a
body of knowledge is
carefully documenting
what is happening in
reality, those in the
humanities are able to
project this reality in other
medium (not necessarily
experimentation but
more of reflective and
personal experiences
such as paintings, dance,
music, etc.).
Amor Vincit Omnia (1601-1602)
Plato
Caravaggio
 The study of arts is the study of
mankind. Humanities is therefore
significant to our lives. Through
humanities we uncover human
thoughts, feelings, relations, and
history. It constitutes one of the oldest
form and most important means of
expression developed by man.

The Beheading of St. John the Baptist (1608)

Caravaggio
Art is defined as the visual work
that represents an idea,
expresses feelings, or presents an
interesting design.
The various branches of creative
activity, such as painting, music,
literature, and dance.
The expression or application of
human creative skill and
imagination, typically in a visual
form such as painting or
sculpture, producing works to be
appreciated primarily for their
beauty or emotional power.
Woman with a Parasol-
Madame Monet and Her Son (1875)
Claude Monet
Art is something we do, a verb.
Art is an expression of our
thoughts, emotions, intuitions,
and desires. But it is even more
personal than that: it's about
sharing the way we experience
the world, which for many is an
extension of personality.
Art teaches us that people
everywhere share common
goals and dreams. Art is a
never-ending process of
discovery and rediscovery
about people, traditions,
cultures and time periods. The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633)
Rembrandt
Art will allow us to explore
illuminating experiences,
thus, affording us an extra
understanding, prudence,
and sensitivity towards
cultural differences. But
Art, aside from uniting, also
divides people and
creates distinction of
culture.
No matter how time
changes, Art is there to
accompany and enable
us to survive. St. Jerome in His Study (1435)
Jan van Eyck
 Through art, by sympathetic and
imaginative self-identification, we
enjoy, savor, or get the feel of
emotions and attitudes which
otherwise we would not have
known.

The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple (1511-1512)

Raphael
THE ASSUMPTIONS OF ART

Art is Universal
Art is Cultural
Art is not Nature
Art Involves Experience
Art as an Expression and
as a form of Creation
Pieta (1498-1499)
Michaelangelo
 Art is Universal
Art knows no limit. It
transcends cultures, races,
and civilizations. It reaches
the farthest and the most
isolated spots in the universe.
As long as human beings
exist, art is feasible, alive, and
dynamic.
Art is a means of
communication. Regardless
where people live, they share
common means of expressing
their thoughts and feelings.
Portrait of a Young Woman (1480-1485)
Plato
Sandro Botticelli
 Art is Universal

Art is a call for unity

and reconciliation. It
binds us and makes us
feel that we are one
in our dreams and
mission.
In contrary, it can also
be used to
communicate mutiny
and rebellion.
St. Michael Vanquishing Satan (1518)
Plato
Raphael
 Art is Universal

Art is timeless. It goes

beyond the time of our
existence.
Art started since the birth
of mankind. Logically, it
would continue to live in
accordance to
mankind’s existence.
“While Art defines time,
time also defines Art.”
Madonna of the Harpies (1517)
Andrea del Plato
Sarto
 Art is Universal

Art is universal
because it
addresses needs of
people from all over
the world. Art is
there to serve our
human
fundamental needs.

Virgin Intercessor (c. 1584)

Plato
Antonello da Messina
 Art is Cultural

Art is the oldest form of

human records.
Artworks serve as
windows to the distant
past.
Art endured so many
centuries. It served
mankind for shaping
civilizations and society.

Princess Elizabeth Esperovna BelosselskyPlato

(1859)
Franz Xaver Winterhalter
 Art is Cultural

It is a vehicle of
communication
and expression
which unifies
people despite
differences in
language, culture
and tradition.
Colonel Acland and Lord Sydney: The ArchersPlato
(1769)
Joshua Reynolds
 Art is NOT Nature

Art is not nature because

Art must be man-made. It
is a creation of man that
may reflect a profound
skillfulness and
craftsmanship.
Art is artificial because it
is just an imitation or even
an appropriation of
reality or nature.

Garçon à la pipe (1905)

Plato
Pablo Picasso
 Art is NOT Nature
Art can never be natural
because nature is ever
changing, yet Art is
permanent unless
manipulated by man.
Artist could make artworks,
but not nature. Nature is
too big, too grand, too
mysterious, and too
beautiful to be grasped in
pigment, choreography, or
in words. Art can never
Femme aux Bras Croisés (1901-1902)
compete with nature.
Plato
Pablo Picasso
 Art is NOT Nature

But Art and nature

have a give and take
relationship. Nature
provides medium,
resources, and
models. Art confers
recognition and
appreciation. Both
are perceived
through the senses.
The Absinthe Drinker (1901)
Plato
Pablo Picasso
Art Involves Experience

Art is a representation
of our experiences. It
demands
involvement. We can
only appreciate art if
we spend time to
look at it, listen to it,
touch it, or feel its
presence.
Madonna of the SlumsPlato
(1950)
Vicente Manansala
 Art Involves Experience

Art’s rawness triggers

perception, wit, and
spirituality. Art is
utilized either to
influence and
convince, or to
destroy and unshape
one’s belief.
Miss BowlesPlato
(1775)
Joshua Reynolds
 Art as an Expression and
as a Form of Creation

Art provides
records of human
achievement
and ideas. Art
teaches us about
human creativity.

The Pyramids of Giza (c. 2575-2465 B.C.E.)

Plato
THE ARTS
THE
VISUAL ARTS Drawing
Painting
Ceramics
Sculpture
Crafts
Printmaking
Photography
Design
Videography

Las Damas Romanas (1882)

Juan Luna
THE ARTS
THE
PERFORMING ARTS Singing
Dance
Theatre
Declaiming
Opera
Acting
Spoken Poetry
Film
Television
Instruments
Orchestra
Hamilton the Musical (2015)
Lin-Manuel Miranda
THE ARTS
THE
LITERARY ARTS
Prose
Novel
Poetry
Drama
Short Story
Novella
Comics
Graphic Novels

Black Panther Comics (1966)

Stan Lee & Jack Kirby
THE ARTS
THE
APPLIED ARTS Makeup
Landscaping
Architecture
Grafitti
Fashion
Murals
Interior Design
Mosaics
Tattoo
Furniture
Falling Water (1964)
Frank Lloyd Wright
 The Functions of Art

DIRECTLY INDIRECTLY
FUNCTIONAL FUNCTIONAL
 Directly
Functional
Art that we use in a daily
basis and serves a literal
or tangible function in our
lives. (e.g. Clothes,
Architectural and
Engineering Structures,
Money, Furniture)
 Indirectly
Functional
Art that are “perceived
through the senses.” Not
used literally to live but
accompanies life. (e.g.
Paintings, Theatre,
Literature)

Perseus with the Head of Medusa (c. 1545-1554)

Benvenuto Cellini
 Both Directly Functional and
Indirectly Functional Arts
tend to cross each other’s
paths and change roles or
even fuse purposes.
Some Directly Functional Art
have a sole purpose which is
for functionality, but the
designs incorporated made
the decorative art transcend
from its basic form to a
highly artistic form of art.
Flatiron Building (1902)
Daniel Burnham & Frederick Dinkelberg
 Artistic Functions can be
classified into four, namely:

AESTHETIC

UTILITARIAN

SOCIAL

CULTURAL
Taj Mahal (1632-1653)
Ustad Ahmad Lahauri

The Birth of Venus (1485-1486)
Sandro Botticelli
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah (1999)
Tom Wright
An artwork functions
aesthetically when it
becomes an instrument for
mankind to be cognizant of
its beauty, where feelings of
joy and appreciation are
manifested.
Art serves its utilitarian
function when it is used to give
comfort, convenience, and
happiness to human beings. It
serves basic functions such as
clothing, food, and shelter, and
other things that make humans
live with happiness and ease.
Art serves its social purpose
when the it bridges connection
among people. Also when it
encourages unity and good
relationship among people. With
this, people become more
understanding and could
somehow create a better society.

Art serves as an aperture

towards skills, knowledge,
attitudes, customs, and
traditions of different groups of
people. The Art helps preserve,
share, and transmit culture of
people from one generation to
another.
Philosophical Perspectives

Plato
Theory of Mimesis

In his theory of Mimesis, Plato says that

all art is mimetic by nature; art is an
imitation of life. He believed that ‘idea’ is
the ultimate reality. Art imitates idea and
so it is imitation of reality.
Philosophical Perspectives

Aristotle
Theory of Representation

All the Arts have their own techniques and rational principles, and
it is through mastery of these that the artist/craftsman brings his
conceptions to life. Yes, the arts do copy nature, but their
representations are fuller and more meaningful than nature gives
us in the raw. That is their strength. We do not therefore need to
insist on some moral purpose for art, which is thus free to
represent all manner of things present, past, imagined or
institutionally-required.
Philosophical Perspectives

Immanuel Kant
L’Art pour L’Art (Art for Art’s Sake)

Kant argued the purpose of art is to be “purposeless”. It should not

have to justify any reason of existing and being valued other than
the fact that it is art. Our experience of art – the ways we appreciate
and criticize work – is therefore wholly commanded by aesthetic
pleasure and delight, separate to the rest of the world. Practically
speaking, it usually meant that art should avoid social, political, and
moral themes and concentrate instead on creating beauty, so it
really meant "art for the sake of beauty and its elevating effects.”
Philosophical Perspectives

Art as a form of Escapism

“The ceremony of art touches the deepest realms of the psyche and
the sacred dimension of the artistic creative process. The sacred
level of art not only transforms something into art, but also
transforms the artist at the very core of his or her being. This way of
doing and relating to art makes the process and context of art-
making infinitely more important than the product.” It’s an escape
from the hustle and bustle of a long active day of work and
meetings. It’s an escape from the chaos that our uncertain thoughts
cause within us. It’s an escape from our unrelenting running
footsteps that we focus on more intensely than reminding ourselves
to take magical depths of deep breaths.
 The Subject
The Subject of Art refers to
any person, object, scene or
event described or
represented in a work of Art.

An artwork could be
Representational or Non-
Representational.

La Belle Ferronnière (c. 1490-1499)

Leonardo da Vinci
 The Subject
Many contemporary painters
have turned away from
representational to non-objective
painting. They have shifted their
attention to the work of art as an
object in itself, an exciting
combination of shapes and
colors that fulfills an aesthetic
need without having to represent
images or tell a story. Many
modern paintings are like this
making them more difficult to
On White II (1923) comprehend.
Wassily Kandinsky
KINDS AND SOURCES OF
SUBJECT

Nature
Dreams/Fantasies
Animals
Religion/Mythology
Still Life
Portraits/Humans
Cityscapes
History/Legends
Seascapes
Spirits by the Lake (???)
Leonid Afremov
Nature

Irises (1889)
Vincent van Gogh
Dreams and Fantasies

On the Way to Morning (???)

Leonid Afremov
Animals

The Goldfinch (1654)

Carel Fabritius
Religion/Mythology

The Calling of St. Matthew (1599-1600)

Caravaggio
Still Life

Still Life with Apples and Grapes (1880)

Claude Monet
Portraits/Human Figures

Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar (1659)

Rembrandt
Cityscapes

Paris Autumn (1938)

Guy Dessapt
History/Legends

The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania (1849)

Sir Joseph Noel Paton
Seascapes

Sunset at Yahatts (???)

Charlotte Light
Content Sources:
THANK YOU
Alampat: An Introduction to Art Appreciation by Dr. Teody Boylie R. Perez, Rogelito D. Cayas, Norman F. Narciso
Oxford English Dictionary 3rd Edition
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The Bedroom (1888)
Vincent van Gogh