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

19th Century Literary Evolution

The 19th century marked a significant era for storytelling. The Brothers Grimm collected German folktales, originally transmitted orally, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Tom Thumb, and Cinderella. In the United States, other notable stories emerged, including Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra and Edgar Allan Poe's works, which explored themes of police detection, fantasy, and terror.

Defining Realism and Naturalism

Realism and Naturalism in literature are characterized by:

• Realistic descriptions of the external world.
• An attempt to encompass all reality.
• A tendency towards an omniscient narrator.
• The writer's striving for objectivity, often avoiding a subjective point of view.

Realism in France: Key Authors &

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

Valle-Inclán's Literary Trajectory

Despite the traditional partition of Valle-Inclán's literary career into two stages—the first modern and the second grotesque—the dividing line is not clear because his evolution is not linear but recurring and simultaneous. His origins are modernists, evident since his first book and also in his Sonatas.

The Modernist Origins: The Sonatas

The four Sonatas are the sentimental and literary memory of the Marquis of Bradomín, a "Don Juan ugly, Catholic, and sentimental." They represent the best prose of Hispanic Modernism.

Stylistic Evolution and Generic Indeterminacy

This phase is followed by the cycle of the Comedia Bárbara, including Águila de blasón (Eagle Crest) and Romance de lobos (Romance of Wolves)... Continue reading "Valle-Inclán's Literary Evolution: From Modernism to Esperpento" »

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

Baroque Art: A Universal Movement

Baroque art is not just a style, but a trend common to all arts that acquires very differentiated characteristics in each country according to the influence of Italy or France. It represents the end point of the classical rules and experimentation that started with Mannerism.

The Dual Function of Baroque Art

It was born as an instrument of the Catholic Church to combat the spread of Protestantism and also served absolute monarchies as a way to show their power. Therefore, Baroque art has a dual function: to impress and to convey ideological content. It is considered a forward movement of novelty, a search for the infinite, contrast, and the limits in the bold mix of all arts.

Baroque Architecture and Its Language

In... Continue reading "Baroque Art and Architecture: Power and Dynamism" »

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

The Card Players: Painting Context and Provenance

Details of the painting, The Card Players, by author Paul Cézanne:

• Patron/Client: Ambroise Vollard and wealthy bourgeois collectors.
• Style: French Post-Impressionism.
• Original Location: Home of Ambroise Vollard.
• Current Location: Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Relationship to the Series: This work stands in conjunction with other copies of the subject made by the same author, which are not identical but share a strong resemblance.

Technical Analysis and Visual Elements

Medium and Subject Matter

Technique: Oil on canvas. The support material is small in size. This is a figurative portrait of two men playing cards, seated with a bottle of wine positioned between them.

Composition and Style

• Aesthetic Focus (AF)

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,