Art Appreciation To herd all of these coherence and
intelligibility, the relationships of visual details
In the Philippines, which is predominantly a
non-museum-going public, looking at art has
always been a tricky business.
- This is true not only for novices, but also at
times, confronts the long-time art
a cionados.
One of the major hurdles that spoils an
individual's engagement with an artwork
- the notion that in order to appreciate it, one
must be able to extract a speci c image,
isolate the artist or maker's intention, and
unearth a particular meaning.
- Failure to do so automatically implies a
failure of comprehension and therefore,
failure of the experience.
This, however, relegates art engagement and
therefore appreciation to the very few who
had training and instruction in producing and in
reading art. This should not be the case.
• The primary stage of engaging with art is
its perception.
Looking at art is much like any instance of
taking in information or stimulus that
originates from the world around us.
For most art forms, the beginning of
engagement is through looking at the
artwork.
The eyes play a big role in mechanically
making a vision possible. However, like any
tool, it is but one component.
What makes difference is the awareness in
the process of looking where subjectivity is
essential in navigating through the artwork.
Subjectivity - illustrated in the way that
selective perception renders one or two
details more prominent than others,
prompting the viewer to focus on some
details as essentials or as standouts.
Even though disposition or the mood of the
viewer, his education, his background, and
his exposure to varying contexts
contributes to what information is taking in
and how they are interpreted.
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presented, the ideas and feelings that they cull,
and other springs of information may be
consulted.
In most cases, there are clues that mend
between the artwork and the viewer,
allowing the viewer to more easily
comprehend what he is seeing.
These clues are the three basic components
of a work of art:
• Subject,
• Form, and
• Content
- These components are largely inseparable
from each other and usually related to each
other.
Subject
- refers to the visual focus or the image that
may be extracted from examining the
artwork.
- is seen as the "What";
- Most common subjects of art include
people (portraiture), arrangement of objects
(still life), the natural world (landscape), and
abstractions (non-objective).
Content
- the meaning that is communicated by the
artist or the artwork. The emotion or intellectual message of an
- is seen as the "why"; artwork.
Form
- the development and con guration of the
artwork, how the elements and the
medium or material are put together.
- is seen as the "how."
————
In the eld of the sciences,
Experimentation is the key to proving a
hypothesis or a larger theory.
- is done multiple times to further prove the
reliability of an outcome.
Empirical or observable data in the form of
visible or tactile qualities, events or
occurrence, yielding an output or by-
product must follow after a step or a series
of processes.
 In the arts, there are also observable
qualities that will point to its subjects, and
sometimes even to its content.
In order to esh out what the subject of the
artwork:
- It is important to look at the constituent
gures that are perceivable on the
surface of the canvas, or
- the sculpture in the manner in which the
artist chose to depict those gures.
Types of Subject
"Mona Lisa"
- One of the most iconic and recognizable
paintings all over the world
- done by Leonardo da Vinci.
- Some questions are often raised regarding
this artwork, like "Who is Mona Lisa?" "Why
was Leonardo da Vinci compelled to painted
her"
- But as scholars attempt to solve the true
identity of the sitter, it is relevant to note that
there is a consensus that the Mona Lisa-
whoever she is is based on a real person.
Portraits such as the "Mona Lisa" are good
examples of what is called representational
art.
Representational arts
- These types of art have subjects that refer
to objects or events occurring in the real
world.
- It is also termed gurative art, because as
the name suggests, the gures depicted
are easy to make out and decipher.
- You can also add other related visuals to
capture the attention of your audience.
- Example: Leonardo da Vinci's " Mona
Lisa" (1503)
Despite not knowing who Mona Lisa is, it is
clear that the painting is of a woman that is
realistically-proportioned; only the upper torso
is shown; a beguiling and mysterious smile is
ashed; and that the background is a
landscape probably a view from a window.
Pushing it even further, one can even imagine
a scene in which Leonardo de Vinci alternates
between applying dabs of paint on the canvas
and looking at the sitter in order to capture her
features for the portrait.
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Non-representational art
- On the other hand, seeing a painting that
has nothing in it but continuous drips of
paint or splotches of colors whether
confounds the viewer or is readily trivialized
as something that anyone with access to
materials can easily make.
- Also often referred to as non- gurative art.
The works of Jackson Pollock, who is known
for his “action paintings” are often subjected
to these remarks.
- Using large-scale canvasses that were
usually laid out on the oor or resting on a
wall, Pollock tilted his paint can and allowed
paint to drip.
- Assisting it with movement, he used other
implements such as hardened brushes,
knives, sticks, and trowels to add detail,
texture, and dimension to his paintings.
Example: Jackson Pollock, detail of
“Number 1A” (1948)
There were no clear gures that jot out from
the canvas; there were only drips and
splashes.
This kind of work can be subsumed under the
category of non-representational. It is also
often referred to as non- gurative art.
Non-representational art
- does not make a reference to the real
world, whether it is a person, place, thing, or
even a particular event.
- It is stripped down to visual elements
such as shapes, lines, and colors that are
employed to translate a particular feeling,
emotion, and even concept.
It is in this light that representational works
are often favored because they are easier to
recognize.
Viewers nd a greater degree of comfort
when what they see registers as something
familiar. They then continue to process this
understanding, sometimes even becoming
con dent enough to share their insights to
others.
It can be sometimes even becoming con dent
enough to share their insights to others. It can
be argued then that an artist is faced with a
strong persuasion of creating works that
veers toward representational art.
 However, it is not simply an issue of assumed
preference; rather, it cuts across matters
relating to prevailing themes, norms, and
practices of speci c historical moments.
One source of confusion is the notion that
non-representational art is the same as
abstract art.
This is essential to discuss because it
introduces the fact that representational art
and non-representational art is not a clear-
cut divide; rather, they exist in a spectrum.
Abstract art
An abstract work of Pablo Picasso is a
great example to illustrate this. Although he is
more known for his paintings, he also dabbled
into other works including sculptures.
Pablo Picasso, "Head of a Woman,
Mougins" (1962). Metal cut-out, folded and
painted.
Musée National Picasso-Paris.
Cut metal that is hinged on a metal base, there
is a palpable distortion of the image whatever it
is seems to be melting.
Even without reading the title from the caption,
mere seconds of looking at the combination of
lines, shapes, and colors of the sculpture will
point to a head of a woman.
Even with the abstraction of the image, this
work is arguably representational.
As a guide, an artwork, depending on the
degree of distortion or abstraction, may be
judged as leaning more toward one over the
other.
Abstract art is in itself a departure from
reality, but the extent of departure
determines whether it has reached the end
of the spectrum, which is nor
representationality —a complete severance
from the world:
ABSTRACT ART
Abstract art generally projects a story of some
sort or draws an idea with specific objects,
people, or things within the composition.
NON-REPRESENTATIONAL ART
Non- representational art it expresses opinions or
feeling by using color pattern and techniques
designed for personal expression.
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Russian artist Vasily Kandinsky
- A proponent of non-representational art
was Russian artist Vasily Kandinsky.
- Although his chosen art form was paintings,
he likened non-representational art to
music, an art form that he was also very
keen to.
- He asserted that with sounds, musicians
are able to evoke imagery in their
listeners or audiences.
- Object-free, he alludes to the sounds and
spiritual experiences that music makes
possible in his paintings.
- It is therefore not surprising that a lot of his
paintings are inspired by music and are
titled as impression, improvisation, and
composition.
Sources and Kinds of Subject
For non-representational art:
A higher level of perceptiveness and insight
might be required to fully grasp the feeling,
emotion, or concept behind the work.
It is perhaps easier to infer where the
subject matter comes from if the artwork is
an example of representational art. From the
gures depicted in the artwork, there is
already a suggestion as to its inspiration.
However, in discussing the sources and
kinds of subject in artworks, it is important
to note that these two are often inextricably
related.
Often, even a singular source of inspiration
can yield multiple translations.
A. NATURE:
Vincent van Gogh "Die Ebene von
Auvers" (Wheat Fields Near Auvers) (1890)
Jan van Kessel “A Cochchafer, Beetle,
Woodlice and Other Iinsects, With Spring of
Auricula" (EARLY 1650's)
A good starting point is the nature.
There is nothing more rudimentary than
human interaction with the physical world
around the artist.
Early childhood often revolves around
getting to know not just the body and what it
 can do, but also in getting accustomed to a
multitude of sensory prompts around the
artist especially those situated in his
environment.
Artists throughout history have explored
diverse ways of representing nature:
• From plants to animals;
• the qualities of bodies of water and the
terrain of landmasses; and
• even the perceivable cycles and changing
of seasons.
Often, these depictions are seen as
expressions of the sacred or the profane,
sired by reality or supplemented by the
artist’s imagination.
Vincent Van Gogh
- One artist who was attuned with nature
was Vincent Van Gogh.
- He saw art and nature as inseparable,
often nding solace and happiness in
painting in it (working in the middle of
spoiled elds) and painting from it
(landcapes).
- In a letter to his brother Theo, he wrote “…
if I felt no love for nature and my work,
then I would be unhappy” “Van Gogh
Musuem.
Other artists with a considerable number of
landscapes and seascapes are:
• Claude Monet,
• Camille Pissarro,
• Paul Cézànne, and
• JMW Turner.
In the Philippines,
• National Artists for Painting Fernando
Amorsolo and
• Fabian de la Rosa
- gained prominence from their painted
rural scenes such as women in the elds
gathering harvest.
Jan van Kessel’s “The Elder”
Breaking nature into smaller parts in Jan
van Kessel’s “the Elder” who did numerous
still lives and small-scale, highly detailed
studies, and scienti c illustrations of owers,
insects, shells, fruits, garlands, and bouquets.
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B. PHILOSOPHIES AND BELIEF SYSTEM:
Greek and Roman mythology were also ripe
with references:
• from episodes that transport the viewer to
heroic encounters of Achilles and Aeneas;
• warning about man’s folly like the vanity
of Icarus;
• the wit and cunning of Odysseus;
• the beauty of Aphrodite, and
• the athleticism of Myron.
From narrations in literature, artists, on the
other hand, gave faces of Greek and Roman
deities or the gods and goddesses whose
fates are seemingly as tragic as those of
men.
Some of the art forms they took on were wall
paintings or frescos and sculptural works
such as busts, statuaries, and ceramics and
pottery, among others.
Another integral aspect of human life is the
distinct relationship with a higher
controlling power.
If the belief system of Greeks and Romans
was polytheism (with a multitude of gods
and goddesses),
the Judeo-Christian tradition stems from a
belief in a lone creator of the universe or
what is called monotheism.
- This tradition had an immense in uence in
Western civilization especially in art.
- Guided by a host of styles and techniques,
various media and art forms were also
experimented with:
• paintings,
• fresco,
• church architecture (over-all plan of the
space, stained glass windows,
tabernacles, and altars),
• sarcophagus,
• icons and other carvings,
• vestments,
• tapestry,
• illuminated manuscripts, and other
sacred scriptures, among others.
Commissioned by Pope Julius II, the
intricate fresco that lines the Sistine Chapel
was created by Michelangelo.
- The immense detail and vast surface he
had to cover had him working on it from
1508 to 1512.
Unlike in Islam for example, practicing Jews
and Christians were allowed to depict their
God and other important biblical gures:
laying visual foundations in inculcating the
faith.
But perhaps the in uence of this tradition is
most intriguingly manifested in the architectural
marvels that spread out all over the world.
The formative years of church architecture
can be traced in the 4th and 5th century but
different styles and plans were developed
since then.
Prevailing ideas and philosophies became
resources that were used by architects to
reimagine what the church should look like.
For instance, Gothic churches were
characterized by three (3) things:
• soaring heights (ceilings)
• volume ( ying buttresses and ribbed vaults)
• light (bright stained glass windows, airy and
pleasant interiors)
Gothic style architecture
- is often attributed as the brainchild of
Abbot Suger.
- There is a de nitive sense that pointed to the
feeling of awe on the part of the believer and
the perceived majesty and power of God—
all of which happened during the time when
religion was at the heart of everyday life.
- This echoes her belief that “art was
central to religious experience”
India miniature paintings
Proceeding from a kind of a hybrid between
literature and sacred text is India’s miniature
paintings.
In Central India, the kind of art that was
produced was deeply rooted in Vedic texts
such as:
• Upanishads,
• Puranas, and
• other important texts like the Sanskrit epics
Mahabharata and Ramayana.
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Indian artists had a wide array of materials
to work with in showcasing not just their
artistry and skill.
The signi cance of these paintings rests on
its ability to foster devotion and the
observance of a code of ethics through the
visualizations of heroic narratives.
These painting were small but were highly
pictorial, stylized, and employed a good
contrast of colors.
Some artists also included verse from the
epics as part of the cartouche which added
interest and meaning to the paintings.
C. SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN HISTORY:
The late Shah Jahan Album" Shah Jahan
Receiving Dara Shikoh" (circa 1650)
FRANCISCO DE GOYA, "El Tres De
Mayo" (1840)
Historically signi cant events particularly in
the affairs of humanity are abundant
references for art production.
From early breakthroughs such as the
discovery of re and the overthrow of
geocentric theory in favor of a sun-centered
universe, succeeding advancements
brought about by discovery, innovation,
and man’s incessant search for glory
plotted a dynamic course of history.
An example is Goya's El Tres de Mayo which
captures the death of Madrilenes, the local
insurgents during the Peninsular War.
Former allies in the overrun of Portugal and
France turned against Spain.
Napoleonic forces invaded Madrid without
much dif culty and the painting captures the
dramatic demise of its people under a ring
squad.
History
- as a resource for artists in search of
subjects,
- brings into consideration events that are
familiar and sometimes even common or
shared in world context:
 The establishment of nations and states
(discovery, conquests, and colonization), and
the resulting ideologies that they breed
(democracy, liberty, freedom, and rights).
- These works serve as documentary and
commemorative artworks that illustrate
subjects such as:
• important leaders and gures;
• events as they were recorded to
have happened; and
• representations of ideologies or
values.
In the history of art, it is important to
remember that the source and kind of
subjects were not merely a product of the
artist’s inclination and choice.
A closer examination of the various art
movement and artworks created within those
movements will indicate that notions of
freedom and independence, which are
presumed to be enjoyed by artists, were not
without limits or restrictions.
For instance, a particular kind of subject and
the way it is visually translated may be
traced in relation to the art patrons (those
who commission the artworks), the favored
artistic style and canons, and more importantly,
the norms and trends prevailing in the artist’s
milieu.
Art patrons - those who commission the
artworks
During the Spanish colonial period in the
Philippines, art was predominantly
representational.
During the 1st century of their dominance, art
came as an aid for communication— a
means of propagating religion to locals
who spoke a different language.
The visual arts, from paintings to early
sculptures such as santos and other votive
gures and icons, were created to assist
Catholic ministry.
Existing art and craft traditions persisted, with
some augmented and infused with foreign
in uences that were not limited to the Spanish
culture through contact.
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The momentum that secular (or non-
religious) art later gained in the 19th
century can also be attributed to this contact,
with the opening of the Suez Canal and the
growth of export economy in agriculture.
The consequence of these developments
was the rise of the middle class.
With their new-found economic and social
mobility, patrons of the art were no longer
limited to the clergy, but brought about the
demand coming from these wealthy
illustrado families.
Of interest towards the increase in demand
for the commission portraits (of an individual
or an entire family), nding it necessary to
document themselves in the light of their
elevated status.
Wearing the most intricate and elaborate of
garbs signi cant adornments, such as jewelry
and embroidered implements among others,
completed the intended narrative.
This artistic trend cemented the distinction
of artists such as
• Simon Flores,
• Justiniano Ascuncion, and
• Antonio Malantic
—who became the foremost portraitists of
all time.
Here it is evident how during the Spanish
colonial period, the subjects of artworks,
even the manner in which they are
translated, were mostly detect who
commissioned them for religious and
secular art.
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Content in Art
As outlined in the beginning, in discussing the
work of art, the subject may simply be
referred to as the “what”— what is readily
seen and relates to the artwork its
inspiration and the main kinds of
translation.
But apart from what is made explicit, the
recognize and grasp the message of the
artwork the viewer may sometimes need to go
beyond what is visible. Why was the artwork
created in the rst place?
 When this question is asked, we are after the
meaning or message that is expressed or
communicated by the artwork.
One of the foremost scholars that
expounded on content analysis, or how
many is arrived, is an artist historian Erwin
Bonky in his seminal work Meaning in the
Visual Arts, 1983.
His methodology will be later identi ed as
Iconology through the interpretation of
iconography.
To take on the challenge of understanding
the content of the art, it must be reiterated
that there are various levels of meaning.
Various Levels of Meaning
Factual meaning of art
- Perhaps the most common is what we call
factual meaning.
- This pertains to the most rudimentary level
of meaning, for it may be extracted from
the identi able or recognizable forms in
the artwork and understanding how these
elements relate to one another.
Conventional meaning of art
- pertains to the acknowledged
interpretation of the art using motives,
signs symbols, and other cyphers as
basis of its meaning.
- These conventions are established through
time strengthened by recurrent use, and
wide acceptance by its viewers, or
audience and scholars who study them.
Subjective meaning of art
- Finally, when subjectivities are consulted,
a variety of meaning may arise when a
particular work of art is read.
- These meanings stem from the viewer’s or
audience’s circumstances that come into
play when engaging with art.
When looking at the particular painting, for
example, perception and meaning are
always informed (and even colored) by
manifold of contexts, what we know; what we
learned; what we experienced; and the values
we stand for.
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It is therefore expected that meaning may
not be singular, rather, a painting may
communicate multiple meanings to its
viewers. This is what we call subjective
meaning of art.
Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” can be
read using various levels of meaning
previously discussed.
There, Adam is with an aged God, both of
them with an arm stretched and their
respective index nger appearing to be xed at
an impending contact.
Apart from God, who is wearing tunic,
everyone else is in the nude.
God is a oat, surrounded by drapery and
gures presume to be angels and cherubs.
Adam, on the other hand is earthbound, sitting
and reclined, positioned diagonally, parallel to
that of God.
• From a factual perspective, Michelangelo
depicted a scene from the Creatory Story,
in particular, the creation of man.
• Apart from being a key element of
Michelangelo’s fresco at the ceiling of the
Sistine chapel, the subject matter suggests
that this is an example of biblical art.
• This work is indeed, iconic, and this is
asserted by the conventional meanings
attached to it. Here, the speci c poses of
God and Adam (convex and concave
postures, respectively) allude to the
correspondence of the body, and the
commonly held belief that man was
created in the image and likeness of God.
• During this time, the ideals of humanism
were underscored and the arts and
sciences were furthered. It is therefore
understandable that the classical canons
of the form of the body ( ideally
proportioned and muscular) are
portrayed, especially by Michelangelo, who
was rst and foremost a sculptor.
• Here, the view is that the greatness of old
civilization such as that of the Greeks and
the Romans may not only be replicated but
even surpassed.
• Some art scholars noted how Michelangelo
exhibited just that— an elevated artistry—
 in that the dynamism and energy of the
gures in the frescoes in the Sistine chapel
are unlike the works of the predecessors.
An interesting overlap between the
conventional and subjective meanings is
the proposal from gynecologist Frank Lynn
Meshberger, who is published essay
appeared in the October 1990 issue of the
journal of American Medical Association.
Written was his theory that an image and a
message were hidden in the plain sight:
silhouette of God, the shroud, and the drapery
the trail behind, all seemingly align with the
shape of the human brain.
Meshberger, the work can also be called the
“ Empowerment of Adam” For it brought to
the light that as God’s creation, the most
important qualities important to men was
intellect.
Like most Renaissance artists,
Michelangelo unlocked the secret and
precision of human anatomy assisting in
dissections during his time.
For Meshberger, it was with his medical
background and perhaps exposure to art
and history that allow him hidden in
Michelangelo’s work.
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Let’s Wrap Up
There is a sense of panic. When one is
confounded with the question, “What am I
seeing?” or rather, “What am I supposed to see
?” Perhaps addressing this stigma is the rst
step in inviting more Filipinos to engage with
art, and have a more enduring appreciation for
it.
Gaining the basics of deciphering the subject
and content of the art it is hoped that an
individual sensitivity and perceptiveness to art
will be developed.
Knowing more about the context of its
creation from the artist, inspiration, reference
or source will prove useful in understanding
the meaning of the artwork.
However, one must forget that each viewer
is armed with his or her experience,
background and education.
- These will assist in ashing out different
levels of meaning that may be derived from
the artwork. This might not be as evident as
the gures depicted on the surface; however,
these alternative readings contribute to the
signi cance of the work .
The majority of the public are consumers
and not producers of art and so ensuring the
readiness of the public do not only successfully
engage with the art but meaningfully do so, is
the primary function of art appreciation and
education.