Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Arts and Humanities

Mexico in the 1940s and 50s: A Nation in Transition

Mexico was undergoing significant changes after the revolution. While the country showed signs of development in population and production, the agricultural sector lagged. Land reform was delayed, increasing the marginalization of the dispossessed. The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) held power. Mexican intellectuals held differing views: some believed the revolution had achieved its goals, while others felt it had failed or betrayed its ideals, advocating art as a form of critical expression.

Rulfo's Narrative: Reflecting the Mexican Experience

Juan Rulfo's narrative is characterized by its portrayal of the reality of the Mexican man, his concrete and existential struggles rooted in... Continue reading "Mexico's Transformation: Rulfo's Narrative of Revolution and Rural Life" »

General Characteristics

Cinquecento painters began to pay greater attention to content, translating it into visual forms. Grandeur and monumentality took precedence, mirroring trends in architecture and sculpture. Key features include:

• Compositional clarity in scenes
• Idealized female nude models
• Perfect and careful study of movement
• Soft intonation of colors

From the second third of the 16th century, Mannerism emerged as a prominent style.

Main Stages, Artists, and Works

High Renaissance

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was a seeker of scientific knowledge. He was interested in the study of the human body to achieve perfect composition and connection between figures. His early paintings, linked to the Quattrocento (e.g., Annunciation), demonstrate... Continue reading "Cinquecento Painting: Characteristics, Stages, and Artists" »

Doctrinal Literature

Doctrinal literature expresses Christian ideas and their defense. It prioritizes the message and utilizes formal and rhetorical literary techniques.

Ramon Llull (1232-1316)

Contemplation on God (1274)

Written in Arabic, Catalan, and Latin, this encyclopedic work contains Llull's core thoughts. He sought a method to effectively communicate his ideas through an 'Art,' central to his system. This 'Art' evolved throughout his life.

The Book of the Order of Chivalry (1276)

Addressed to knights, this work encourages them to strengthen Christian values. It appeals to the feudal world, emphasizing the role of chivalry in defending order and the Church's interests.

Book of Felix or the Book of Wonders

This work is biographical, ideal, and... Continue reading "Ramon Llull's Doctrinal Literature: Christian Ideas and Defense" »

Introduction to Heraldry

Heraldry is both a science and a communication system. It uses a series of symbols, shapes, and colors that, when assembled according to specific rules and laws, create a "visual grammar." This grammar, when properly applied, defines a language: the language of Blazon. With this language, we can represent coats of arms or armories of families, lineages, institutions, kingdoms, and so on. To establish these armories and escutcheons, one must not only be proficient in drawing but also understand the laws and rules governing Blazon.

Key Terms in Heraldry

• Blazon: Designing weapons that can be found within the coat of arms.
• Blazon: The technique that allows us to describe a shield.
• Weapons: All those elements that are found within

St. Peter's Basilica Dome, Vatican City

Taking the dome model of Florence Cathedral by Brunelleschi, reinforcing the structural elements, it rises 131 meters in height and 42 meters in diameter. The dome rests high on pendentives and a large drum, supported by 4 sturdy, chamfered central pillars. The dome, which defines the space, was completed by Giacomo della Porta, adding the beautiful lantern that enriches the dome. It became a model for many later churches: a cross-shaped church with a dome on a drum (gray and lined with lead plates). The exterior is characterized by the monumentality conferred by the 'giant order' attributed to Michelangelo. The wall is reinforced by double Corinthian pilasters that accommodate balconies and windows, and... Continue reading "Renaissance Masterpieces: Art & Architecture Highlights" »

The Oath of the Horatii

Meaning

The Oath of the Horatii is a work that exalts the obligation of citizens to sacrifice for the Fatherland. It was painted in reaction to the Rococo decorative style, the art par excellence of the aristocracy. David opposes the excesses of Rococo with austerity.

Some authors describe the work as revolutionary. Here, David demonstrates how painting could break with Neoclassical and Rococo styles.

Composition

There is great power in the male figures, which contrasts with the grief of the female figures. Together, they form a pyramid. The straight lines of the men contrast with the curves of the women.

The scene seems simple but is a well-studied composition based on a complex network of triangles.

The perspective focuses... Continue reading "The Oath of the Horatii: A Neoclassical Masterpiece by Jacques-Louis David" »

Formal Analysis

Technical and Material Aspects

We are examining a mosaic tile painting consisting of a surface covered with mortar, colored paste pieces, and a thin layer of mortar on the edge to prevent moisture ingress. Depending on the size of the grid squares, two types emerge: opus tessellatum (regular pieces), opus sectile (irregular pieces), or opus vermiculatum (very small tesserae). The pieces are made of glass paste, various minerals, colored marble, and small pieces of painted pottery. In this work, we have stones of different colors and even some graffiti.

Composition

The line dominates; a black outline surrounds the characters, which is the first element to wear out. The challenge lies in conveying space and volume, not color gradations.... Continue reading "Analyzing Roman Mosaic Techniques and Themes in Empuries" »

Eros and Psyche by Canova

Dates

1787-1793

Technique

Height

Material

Marble

Composition

This sculpture is a formal perfection regarding the treatment of bodies. The two figures are intertwined and form an X defined by the wings of Eros and lower limbs. All contribute to the sculpture's movement. The two mouths occupy the middle of the X. The positions of the hands and arms highlight the passion and eroticism of the scene; while he gently holds her breast, she passes her hands behind his head. Canova aimed at inert matter. The material is polished, with no wear and no wrinkle on the treatment of bodies. This enables light, strong and clear, to slide all over the sculpture, causing a sweet, soft blur.

Style

Neoclassicism

Significance and Function

Canova depicts... Continue reading "Masterpieces: Canova's Eros and Psyche & Rodin's The Thinker" »

Marx: Life and Influences

Born in Germany to a Jewish family, Marx initially studied law but later pursued history and philosophy. Unable to secure a suitable academic position, he turned to journalism and became editor-in-chief. After migrating to Paris, he became involved with French socialists and the labor movement. Meeting Engels was pivotal, as Engels highlighted the importance of economics. In 1845, Marx was expelled from France and settled in Belgium, where he joined the League of Communists. He died in 1883 from illness and overwork. Marx's thought draws heavily from German idealist philosophy, English political economy, and French utopian socialism.

Marxist Philosophy: A Historical Perspective

For Marx, history is the progression of... Continue reading "Marxist Theory: Philosophy, Economics, and Historical Impact" »

Incident light produces a weak electrical signal in the camera's receiver. This signal is amplified and converted into digital data, represented as strings of binary digits, forming individual color squares called pixels.

CCD Sensor Types

Different camera formats utilize CCD sensors with varying numbers of light-sensitive cells:

1. 35mm Camera: Features fewer light-sensitive cells, resulting in a lower-resolution image.
2. Medium Format Camera (6x6): Contains more light-sensitive cells than 35mm cameras.
3. Large Format Camera (9x12): Features significantly more sensitive cells for higher resolution.

CCD Sensor Characteristics

A CCD sensor inherently captures only the intensity (brightness) of light from the scene, not the color itself.

Color Capture with Filters

To... Continue reading "CCD Sensors, Pixels, and Digital Image Fundamentals" »