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

The Life and Philosophical Journey of Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche was born into a family closely associated with Christianity; his father was a pastor. He received training at the famous school Schulpforta and developed an early interest in music. A series of debilitating diseases began early in his life and persisted until his death.

He began studying philology and later discovered Arthur Schopenhauer, who fascinated him. He obtained the chair of philology at a young age and befriended Richard Wagner, though they later broke their friendship. His illness forced him to abandon his academic post and begin a life as a wandering traveler, accompanied by his chronic ailments. On the banks of a lake in Switzerland, he received inspiration... Continue reading "The Four Stages of Friedrich Nietzsche's Philosophy" »

Architect: Victor Horta

Structural and Decorative Elements

The fine iron columns supporting the structure combine with decorative elements. The capitals are full of imagination and creativity. The ceiling beams, made of iron, are clearly visible, serving as another integral element of the overall design.

Exterior and Interior Spaces

The front facade is narrow and simple, featuring glass that imparts a sinuous quality. The windows are separated by stone columns and a small, unusual metal grate.

Great importance is given to the glass in the treatment of the balconies.

The floor plan is narrow and almost rectangularly elongated. The distribution across the three floors is determined by the scale of the entrance hall.

Ornamentation and Function

The decorative... Continue reading "Victor Horta's Architectural Masterpiece: Art Nouveau Design" »

Understanding Advertising

Advertising is a component of various marketing activities, specifically promotion. It serves to communicate the message of an identified sponsor to a specific audience, using paid, impersonal, and far-reaching media such as television, radio, print media, and the internet, among others, in order to achieve set objectives.

Advertising vs. Publicity/Propaganda

Propaganda is regarded as work done to spread an idea and is usually free, while advertising is a set of paid activities used by a company to win and increase their clientele.

Key Features of Advertising

The primary feature of advertising is communication.

The Communication Process

Communication is a process that consists of a set of elements:

• Issuer: The source of communication.

Marketing communication is a function aimed at informing about the existence and characteristics of a product or brand, highlighting the value it provides and its advantages over competing products to persuade the customer to buy.

Advertising

Advertising is a form of impersonal, massive communication paid for by the company. It uses mass media to transmit messages that promote products and build brands. Advertising, adaptable to different groups through various media, is the most appropriate instrument to reach a mass audience. The main downside is the high cost.

An advertisement should be designed to capture the audience's attention, arouse their interest and desire for what is communicated, and generate the expected action from the receiver.... Continue reading "Key Marketing Communication Methods" »

Fundamentals of Audiovisual Media and Communication

Audiovisual media involves storing and disseminating communication information. Social media broadcasts messages to a large number of people.

Characteristics of Mass Communication

• Propagation of unidirectional messages.
• By Channel: Print or electronic.
• For Reception: Visual, auditory, or audiovisual.

Media Combination and Influence

Media utilizes a combination of codes:

• Verbal Code: Words.
• Sound Code: Music and sound.
• Visual Code: Images.

These elements influence our conception of reality and our opinion.

Key Media Characteristics

• Simultaneity: Both in broadcasting and in reception.
• Representation of Reality: Subjectivity is inherent.

The press aims to inform and entertain.

Major Audiovisual Media Types

Radio,... Continue reading "Fundamentals of Communication, Media, and Grammar" »

Realism: Literary Movement and Characteristics

Realism is the expression of the dominant mentality of the liberal bourgeoisie era. It primarily adopted the novel form because the characteristics of this literary movement were best suited to it, although poetry and theater also saw significant growth.

In Spain, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes is often cited as a precursor to the movement.

Key Features of Realism

• Observation of Reality: The mentality of the time prioritized the rational analysis of reality, excluding concepts inherited from Romanticism.
• Plausibility: The literary work must construct a narrative similar to the real world. The novel emphasizes the description of space, characters, and daily events.
• Tendency toward Objectivity: The

The Novecentismo Novel: Gabriel Miró and Ramón Pérez de Ayala

The novelists of the Generation of '14 can be split into two lines: those continuing narrative modes of earlier stages, such as Concha Espina and Ricardo León, and those seeking renewal, such as Miró and Pérez de Ayala. Other authors are Fernández Flórez, a master of the comic novel, and Benjamín Jarnés, who reduces the action to a minimum. These authors have in common the overcoming of narrative and stylistic patterns of Realism, though they follow different paths: one through lyricism; another through irony and humor; in other cases, through the intellectualism of the approach; and sometimes by means of dehumanization, which meant the "lack of interest in human vicissitude"... Continue reading "Novecentismo Novelists: Gabriel Miró and Ramón Pérez de Ayala" »

Patriarchy

Patriarchy is the treatment of women throughout the ages. It dictates their future and success in life. It not only defines how society functions but also how it controls women. Patriarchy is best defined as control by men. Women fight for rights and to survive without the power and domination of men. It has roots in Christianity and the family.

Noble Savage

Noble Savage is a literary device that affirms the basic tenet of the goodness of mankind.

Pathetic Fallacy

Pathetic Fallacy is a term used to describe the attribution of animate or human characteristics and feelings to inanimate objects of nature. It is said that these are 'false' descriptions of nature. This term is now commonly used to describe any developed or impassioned personification.... Continue reading "Key Literary & Social Concepts: Patriarchy to Englishness" »

Jackson Pollock's Number 1 (1948)

Classification of the Work

• Title: Number 1
• Author: Jackson Pollock
• Timeline: 1948
• School or Country: USA
• Style: Abstract Expressionism

Theme

A path of fine lines overlaps and extends across the canvas, creating a composition that seems to have no limits.

Description

• Support: Canvas
• Technique: Oil and enamel painting (with aluminum paint)

Formal and Compositional Elements

• Form: Open pictorial
• Composition: Open or centrifugal
• Geometric Perspective
• Asymmetry
• Technique/Geometry: Dripping

Antecedents and Subsequent Influences

Pollock learned techniques from Native American (Navajo) sand painting. He also studied the works of Picasso and Miró. He created and utilized the dripping technique in several paintings.

Relations with Similar

Camera Shots, Angles, and Movements

Types of Camera Shots

• Major General Plan (Extreme Long Shot): The person appears reduced in size or is not visible. Establishes the scene.
• Outline (Long Shot): The person occupies approximately one-third of the frame. Focuses on the character.
• Plan Set (Medium Long Shot): Shows relationships between people, often used for Augmented Reality (AR) figures.
• Entire Plan (Full Shot): The person appears complete. Portrays the character fully.
• American Plan (Medium Shot): The person is shown from the knees up. Brings us closer to the character.
• Midplane (Medium Close-Up): Cuts the character at waist height. Highlights gestures.
• Foreground (Close-Up): Shows the character's face. Highlights emotions and feelings.
• Plan Detail