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

Italian Renaissance Art

Architecture

Quattrocento Characteristics

The Quattrocento saw a return to classical elements (semicircular arches, pediments, columns, barrel vaults). Buildings were smaller and less high than Gothic structures, designed to align with human proportions. Decoration was simple and austere, emphasizing order and harmony.

Quattrocento Authors and Works

• Brunelleschi: Dome of Florence Cathedral, facade of the Pitti Palace, churches of San Lorenzo and Santo Spirito (all in Florence).
• Alberti: Rucellai Palace in Florence, Church of St. Andrew in Mantua.

Cinquecento Features

The Cinquecento continued the characteristics of the Quattrocento. Rome became a major architectural center, with magnificent Renaissance buildings constructed... Continue reading "Italian Renaissance Art: Architecture, Painting, and Sculpture" »

Scientific and Technical Texts

Science is also developing a theoretical approach. The mental construction of explanatory models must have a precise language, rigorous, logical structure. The characteristics of scientific content are:

• Universal Validity: A scientific principle is valid in any place.
• Objectivity: Several explanations can be proposed, and testing will be required to support them.
• Need for Rigor and Clarity in Exposition: Scientific language is characterized by:

1. Monosemy: The use of a term with a single meaning.
2. Abundant use of techniques specific to each discipline.
3. Predominance of adjectives that clarify the meaning of the noun.
4. Use of the article for generalization.
5. Utilization of passive and adverbial clauses.

Scientific language is... Continue reading "Understanding Scientific, Humanistic, Journalistic, and Literary Texts" »

19th Century Spanish Art

Architecture Styles

• Eclecticism & Historicism

  Characterized by the mixture of elements from various architectural styles from the past (e.g., Royal Theatre).

• Modernism

  Used new materials such as iron and innovative designs, executed with great creative freedom. Its leader was Antonio Gaudí (e.g., Sagrada Familia).

Sculpture Styles

• Realism

  Characterized by the naturalism of the characters portrayed. Notable sculptors include Ricardo Bellver (e.g., The Fallen Angel) and Mariano Benlliure (e.g., Monument to General Martínez Campos).

• Modernism

  Highlights Josep Llimona, whose works have effects of light and shadow and undulating forms (e.g., Grief).

Painting Styles

• Romanticism

  Its main manifestations were the portrait, in which

Intentionality in Journalistic Texts

In this message, we can observe a complex intentionality, which certainly comes determined primarily by the genre of opinion that this text belongs to, *periodistico*. On one side, the representative function is patent (item), an element of communication that takes precedence over the other five segments representing the transmitted message.

The text objectively concerning the subject of the news (...) is also remarkable. The presence of the expressive function is also remarkable because it expresses the intention of rating, made from the personal perspective of the issuer. In these fragments, the key element is found in the thesis (...).

Conative and Poetic Functions

The conative function occurs when the author... Continue reading "Intentionality in Journalistic Texts: A Detailed Analysis" »

Georges Méliès: Pioneer of Cinema

Man Orchestra: minute 57.92 seconds

Méliès uses cinematic techniques to create his own language. We observe the effect of duplication of a character as an imaginative resource. This is an effect used in horror or fantasy movies (Méliès was an admirer of illusionism).

A Trip to the Moon: A Sci-Fi Landmark

A Trip to the Moon: 6 minutes

Méliès' A Trip to the Moon is a precursor to science fiction films and a significant work. It's one of the first movies in history to use cutting techniques, sets, and special effects extensively. It tells a linear story that was long for its time.

The Power of Music: The Man in the Head

The Man in the Head: minute 3.40 seconds

Méliès used music (piano) in this film to enhance... Continue reading "Georges Méliès & Early Cinema Techniques: A Deep Dive" »

Garcilaso de la Vega

The Eclogues

The Eclogues are the most significant compositions of Garcilaso de la Vega. They are pastoral compositions, meaning that the lovers are shepherds who discuss their love in the ideal setting of the "locus amoenus."

Initially, the shepherds in the Eclogues talk of their love. Salicio's lover rejects him, and Nemoroso loses his beloved. Both suffer from love. Salicio and Nemoroso are literary transcripts, or alter egos, of Garcilaso de la Vega himself.

"Alter Ego"

An "alter ego" occurs when the poet experiences the character, usually of a personal nature.

Similarly, Galatea and Elisa are transcripts, or alter egos, of Isabel Freire.

• Galatea rejects Garcilaso, mirroring Isabel Freire's rejection.
• Elisa dies, reflecting

Impressionism

Impressionism was a term used by the satirical weekly Le Charivari by Louis Leroy to comment on a Monet landscape that showed the birth of the sun, and this is critical. Actually, Monet, Renoir, and Degas tried to catch nature at its tables, as they worked. The method they saw was to defend painting outdoors and not be stuck in a workshop to see the changes that the same object suffers in the light of dawn, noon, and sunset. They went to the woods on the banks of the Seine, streets, and cafes of Paris to capture images. The model would be the landscape with the glare of the sun reflected on water, leaves, or skin. They were interested in changes and progress, such as ships and steam train stations with smoke enveloped by locomotives.... Continue reading "Mastering Impressionism and Cubism: Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Picasso" »

In the final decades of the nineteenth century, Realism evolved into Naturalism, largely driven by the French novelist Émile Zola. Zola posited that humans were products of heredity and social circumstances, leading him to depict the more sordid and raw aspects of reality in his works.

Key Narrative Techniques of Naturalism

• Scientific Method: Writers aspired to present reality using the scientific method. This approach allowed them to analyze society and family dynamics, determining behavior based on environmental and hereditary factors. Descriptions were often stark, portraying even the cruel and harsh aspects of life without softening.
• Objective Narrator: The narrator was typically disembodied, striving for objectivity and impersonality.
• Fleshed-

Understanding Research Methods: Quantitative vs. Qualitative

Quantitative and Qualitative Research: A Comparison

When conducting investigations, both quantitative and qualitative approaches are frequently employed. The choice between them often depends on the research objectives and the nature of the inquiry.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research focuses on the presence or absence of a property, aiming to identify and analyze realities to achieve a deeper understanding. It primarily works with textual data, where repetitive arguments can indicate data saturation or finality of data collection.

Key Qualitative Techniques:

• Qualitative Observation: This involves noting the actions of a social group. The researcher can be hidden or visible, and may

Understanding Avant-Garde Movements

The term avant-garde refers to a set of innovative artistic and literary movements that developed in Europe and America during the first third of the 20th century. The common denominator of the avant-garde is a break not only with prior art and literature but with the entire Western aesthetic tradition.

The avant-garde emerged in a climate of widespread dissatisfaction with the present, which worsened after the atrocities of the First World War.

Common Characteristics

Avant-garde movements share several characteristics:

• Anti-realism: Stemming from their disagreement with reality, avant-garde authors broke with the idea of art and literature as an imitation of the exterior world.
• Primitivism: Challenging the West'