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

Romanticism: A Focus on Emotion and Individuality

The Romantic movement, with its nationalist roots, recovered folk traditions to represent the people in all forms. It was characterized by the pursuit of originality, the abandonment of the precepts of classical composition, and the predominance of the lyric. The disadvantaged first appear, seen as a symbol of freedom and existing outside social conventions. The author is the center of inspiration.

Key characteristics of Romanticism:

• Rejection of classical canons and the Neoclassical ideal.
• Defense of the artist's freedom and originality.
• Vindication of ugliness and the horror.
• Blending of genres and styles.
• Emphasis on feelings over reason.
• Nationalistic or patriotic feeling.

Rebirth: Political and

Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe by Édouard Manet

Painting Information

• Location: Musée d'Orsay, Paris
• Artist: Édouard Manet
• Style: Impressionism
• Date: 1863
• Technique: Oil on canvas

Historical Context

The 19th century was a time of profound political, economic, and cultural change. The Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution were particularly influential. Napoleon expanded French influence throughout Europe. The victorious European monarchies, absolute monarchies, were restored; this is known as the Restoration period.

Cultural Context

Three major artistic movements characterized this stage: Neoclassicism, Realism, and Romanticism.

Impressionist Painting

• Impressionists painted everyday scenes, often *en plein air* (outdoors).
• Landscape was the most important

Understanding Expository Text

An expository text is a form of expression used to inform, explain, disseminate, or interpret a topic in an organized and objective manner.

Key Features of Expository Text

• Order: Develops an outline to follow a logical order: introduction, development, and conclusion.
• Clarity: Each idea is presented in a transparent manner.
• Rigor: Data provided is contrasted and verified; the predominant feature is the use of references, ensuring an objective message.

Types of Expository Text

• General (Disclosed): Addresses a general theme and is aimed at a broad audience. Examples include articles and reports of general interest in daily newspapers.
• Specialized: Requires specific knowledge from the receiver and covers subjects with a high

Àngel Guimerà: Poet and Playwright

Àngel Guimerà rose to prominence in the Renaixença literature as a poet. He was a writer with a worldview that insisted on ethical themes, and characters who relate their own experiences. Some of his early poems even had patriotic Catalan intentions. Guimerà protected his privacy, but his disputes and adaptation process in the country are known, and he agreed to express them in his poetic works. He also agreed to express the adjustment process in the country in his plays and poetry. This explains why we find a preference for marginalized characters.

Early Poetic Success

When Guimerà presented some of his poetical compositions in the Floral Games, he ended up becoming a master of the art, achieving a significant... Continue reading "Àngel Guimerà: Poet and Playwright of the Catalan Renaissance" »

Realism: A Literary Movement

Realism is a literary movement that triumphed in Europe by 1850 and aims to reflect contemporary reality.

Historical, Social, and Cultural Context in Spain

Key developments influencing Spanish Realism included:

• Consolidation of the bourgeoisie.
• Industrial development and the organization of the urban proletariat, which began claiming its rights.
• The Revolution of 1868, which dethroned Queen Elizabeth II and initiated a progressive stage.
• The Restoration of the monarchy under Alfonso XII in 1875.
• A cultural and ideological struggle between traditionalists (opposed to modern ideas) and progressives.
• The relatively late arrival of Realism in Spain due to slower economic and industrial development and the delayed emergence of

Narcís Oller: Catalan Realist Novelist and His Works

Major Works of Narcís Oller

Narcís Oller's literary output, while not extensive, includes six significant novels:

• The Butterfly (La Papallona, 1882): A novel where romantic elements predominate, earning it prestigious national and foreign acclaim. It is set within a master carpenter's milieu.
• L'Escanyapobres: Study of a Passion (1884): This work presents the moral degradation of a miserly man in a rural society undergoing transformation. Its characters personify the fierce resistance to the social and economic changes of the era.
• Villains (Vilaniu, 1885): A romantic novel describing the devastating consequences of libel for a family living in a provincial town.
• The Gold Rush (La Febre d'Or,

The Decadent Novel in Late 19th-Century European Literature

The Decadent Novel constitutes, in the context of late 19th-century European literature, a recent referral to Romantic literature. It introduced Modernism in Catalonia before 1900. Under the influence of decadence, the novel shifted to the suggestion of the narrative: it now reflected an inner reality, hidden and almost unknown, from the analysis of internal conflicts of characters who want to self-actualize. The cult of beauty and the creation of artificial paradises, where peace and finding led the authors to recreate distasteful, sexy, and forbidden situations, frustrated the desire to be isolated. In this novel of character, the subjective aspect of art is exalted as essential to... Continue reading "Decadent Novel: Influence on Catalan Modernism" »

Journalistic Articles

These are articles disseminated through mass media to transmit information of social interest.

Pragmatic Elements of Journalism

When considering the dissemination of information, we may identify the following key elements:

1. The Company: The media owner through which news is disseminated.
2. The Source: The origin of the information. This often includes news agencies, which supply news to media outlets and have correspondents worldwide, or press offices, which are groups of journalists providing information.
3. The Journalist: The individual who writes the information. Sometimes, one journalist writes while another manages the entire news production process.

Information broadcast is typically one-way, with no immediate response expected... Continue reading "Fundamentals of Journalistic Communication" »

Vanguard and Experimental Theatre

This movement includes authors like Fernando Arrabal and Francisco Nieva, and independent theatre groups. They reject realist techniques, incorporating scenic innovations from 20th-century theatre innovators.

Relevant Characteristics:

• Rejection of Realism: New Theatre presents symbolic or allegorical themes.
• Topics: Social and political conditions in Spain, denouncing social injustice and protesting for freedom.
• Characters: Lack psychological depth, are dehumanized or caricatured, becoming symbols.
• Dramatic Action: Fragmented into short, non-linear sequences.
• Stage Space: Innovative design, integrating audience seating into the stage area.
• Theatre as Play: The theatrical event is considered a game.

The Theatre of Vallejo

The Baroque Culture

Characterized by four features:

• Culture is directed
• Massive
• Urban
• Conservative

Culture Addressed

The culture of the Baroque is an operational tool designed to act on a Baroque dirigisme. It inevitably leads to authoritarianism (monarchical absolutism). Art and literature are under the influence, or even under the rule, of the rulers.

Culture of the Masses

In the seventeenth century, there is a concentration of population in certain areas. The population demands a greater quantity of cultural products to be consumed at leisure. This produced a common culture, aimed at the masses, according to the level corresponding to the middle classes (Kitsch).

Urban Culture

There was peasant unrest in the seventeenth century. The urban populations... Continue reading "Baroque Culture and Society: Theater as Propaganda" »