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

The Novel

Definition

The novel, a quintessential Renaissance literary genre, employed prose narrative techniques to depict character actions within specific settings. The term "novel" signifies something new, a fresh approach to storytelling distinguished by its innovative content and linguistic presentation.

Features

Primarily, the novel's literary purpose is to offer aesthetic beauty through reading, delighting the reader. Its descriptive and narrative nuances stem from its prose format, differentiating it from epic poems. Novels are often based on imagination and fantasy, creating fictional worlds inhabited by vivid characters.

Novelistic Currents

Two main currents exist in fiction: realism, which accurately portrays reality and engages with... Continue reading "Novels and Short Stories: A Literary Journey" »

Realism in Literature

Realism's main characteristic is its claim to depict the society of its time. It focuses on social and economic issues, and human passions. Besides being a contemporary social reality, a third feature is a script that works with loyalty to what exists, trying to present reality as it is, using an objective technique against romantic subjectivism. The authors attempt to discover the qualities, dislikes, and even social deformities. In conclusion, the elements of realism developed from Romanticism, such as manners and the taste for local and regional levels, but still eliminates some previous facets such as subjectivism, the excessive use of the imagination, or the constant evocation of the legendary past.

The novel was the... Continue reading "Realism in Literature: A Comprehensive Analysis" »

Quattrocento Architecture

The two architects of the Quattrocento who began the break with the Renaissance and earlier Gothic tradition were Brunelleschi and Alberti. Another important figure is Michelozzo.

Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446)

Born and died in Florence, where all his artistic production took place. Although he was destined by his father for a notary career, he was soon able to engage in the arts. He began working in a goldsmith shop in Rome and conducted studies on Classical Antiquity.

He represents the first example of the Renaissance ideal artist with a solid humanist education and science (architect, sculptor, painter, goldsmith, engineer...). His work constitutes the starting point of Renaissance architecture.

Leon Battista Alberti

Italian Renaissance Painting

Spanning the 15th and 16th centuries, Renaissance painting emerged within a religious and monarchical society enjoying a prosperous economic situation.

The painting of this period is intrinsically linked to the rebirth of classical antiquity, the profound impact of humanism on both artists and their patrons, the development of new artistic techniques and sensibilities, and the broader transition from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Age.

During this era, the artist achieved high social standing, often becoming an educated and valued member of high society. Principal patrons included the nobility, influential rulers, and various religious orders.

Origins and Italian Development

While its origins can be traced to both... Continue reading "Italian Renaissance Painting: Artists and Techniques" »

Features and Reflection of Esperpento in Bohemian Lights

The birth of absurdity occurs in 1920 with the publication of Bohemian Lights, which is the culmination of Valle-Inclán's art, encompassing themes, characters, settings, and style. The author defines his aesthetic through three texts derived from Bohemian Lights and an interview. The essence of this art lies in the point of view; the basis of the 'esperpentizador' process is distance, the strangeness of vision that is scornful, merciless, and inhuman. Absurdity does not try to reproduce the real world but rather presents a grotesque distortion of reality that cannot be reflected rationally. In Valle-Inclán's case, the goal is to present a distorted reality to characterize the distortion,... Continue reading "Esperpento in Bohemian Lights: Features and Reflection" »

Goya's Notable Works: Darkness and Social Commentary

The Third of May 1808

The Third of May 1808 (1814), oil on canvas, is in the Prado Museum. It is a history painting. The composition is organized based on illumination, with a clear dramatic function. It symbolically separates the illuminated area, where convicts wait to be shot, and the penumbra area, where soldiers are aligned. In the illuminated area, one of the condemned seems to absorb all the light, with strong expressive and symbolic meaning. The military platoon forms a closed diagonal.

Goya put all the elements in the service of expression. He reduced the color gamut, enhancing the drama, and intensified the climax, glimpsing through the language of the hands. Made in 1814, it was painted... Continue reading "Goya's Masterpieces: Darkness and Social Commentary" »

1. Historical Context

This exempt group sculpture, known as the Sarcophagus of the Spouses, was carved in 520 BC (sixth century BC). The artist is anonymous and belongs to the Etruscan style. The Etruscan civilization developed in mainland Italy, specifically the region of Tuscany, between the 10th and 1st centuries BC. It had an oriental origin and brought together the cultural and artistic traditions of the civilizations of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Etruscan art was deeply marked by religious beliefs, seeking to obey the will of their gods in order not to fall into disgrace. As in Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations, the Etruscan people gave great importance to life after death. For this reason, it was usual to perpetuate... Continue reading "Etruscan Art: The Sarcophagus of the Spouses" »

Realism in Spanish Literature: The Narrative Genre

The narrative genre, a cornerstone of literary realism, was the most cultivated form for meticulously describing the reality examined by writers of the era. It is characterized by its profound credibility, presenting stories with authentic facts, characters, and settings that feel significant and genuine.

Key Characteristics of Realist Narrative

• Authentic Characters: Portrays real, everyday individuals, with in-depth analysis of their personalities and behaviors to understand their actions.
• Social Commentary: Addresses rampant collective character (e.g., the feminine), social issues, and conflicts within society, framed by specific time and space.
• Narrative Techniques: Frequently employs in medias

Understanding Communication and Language Fundamentals

• Communication: The process by which an issuer transmits a message to a receiver.
• Sign: A symbol that suggests the idea of something else.
• Language: The faculty that allows humans to communicate with one another through the use of oral signs.
• Concrete Language: A specific language shared by a community of speakers.
• Signifier: A set of sounds or written form that expresses a concept.
• Meaning: The associated idea or concept that a signifier represents.

Elements of Word Structure

• Root: The basic meaning of a word.
• Desinence: An ending added to the end of a word to build a different form of that word.
• Affix: A morpheme connected to the root to form a different word.
  • Suffix: Placed after the root.
  • Prefix:

Characters

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza represent the societal structure of their time, encompassing nobles, ministers, actors, clergy, peasants, and students. Don Quixote and Sancho are the central figures. Don Quixote's character is a parody of a chivalrous hero, but his ideas, values, and attire clash with the society of his time. His madness is central to the work and creates a conflict between reality and chivalry. Sancho, his squire, is an ignorant yet cunning man, representing the common people. The dialogue between Quixote and Sancho is a key element of the work. Over time, each character's personality influences the other, with Sancho becoming more like Quixote and Quixote becoming more like Sancho.

Narrative Techniques and Style

The... Continue reading "Don Quixote: A Deep Dive into Cervantes' Masterpiece" »