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

The Family of Carlos IV (Goya)

1800-1801

Technique: Oil on canvas

Visual Elements: Goya's brushwork is loose and vigorous, with drawing achieving little importance. The appearance of color in the dresses is meticulously worked and is based on whites and golds that harmonize with reds and blues. The painter illuminated the right side of the painting and left the other side invaded by a gloom from which faces look towards the observer.

Composition: The Family of Carlos IV is a collective portrait that shares some characteristics with Neoclassical portraiture. However, it cannot be reduced to this style because it waives the careful working drawing and thoroughly studies the color and the psychological center of the figures. The King and his wife... Continue reading "Goya's Family of Carlos IV & David's Oath of the Horatii: Neoclassical Masterpieces" »

The Structure of Greek Myths

During the hegemony of the aristocratic society, the Greek world had a variety of mythical narratives that served to explain a wide variety of everyday aspects. Let's examine the myths by identifying three key features:

1. Divinization

The personification of nature and the main question these myths wanted to answer was how the cosmic order arose from primordial chaos. The explanation pointed to the action of the gods, who embodied the elements of nature, so that natural cycles were explained by divine causes. The ruling aristocracy and therefore social order existed as a mythical story.

2. Ambiguity of the Narrative

The narrative describes the visible world from concrete perspectives, unlike the invisible realities explained... Continue reading "Greek Myth Structure: Divinization, Ambiguity, and Mythic Force" »

Realism in 19th Century Novels

Realism in the nineteenth-century novel: It was an artistic movement that aimed to represent reality as faithfully and realistically as possible. It originated in France with writers such as Balzac, Stendhal, and Flaubert, as well as Dickens and Tolstoy. In Spain, it emerged after the Glorious Revolution and reached its peak in the 1880s, influenced by the Romantic genre.

Narrative Techniques

Observation of reality and a nearly scientific approach were used to extract necessary documentation. Accurate descriptions of the environment and the characters' nature were employed to lend credibility to the story. Objective narration, usually in the third person, was used, with the narrator acting as an omniscient witness... Continue reading "Realism and Naturalism in 19th Century Spanish Novels" »

The Evolution of Portuguese Narrative

From the late 1950s to the early 1960s, Portuguese narrative demonstrated a clear shift away from traditional forms and themes. This gave rise to a new narrative called Galicia.

Breaking with Tradition

The new narrative focused on breaking traditional arguments, abandoning linear chronology in favor of the interior monologue. It presented anonymous characters, outcasts, and misfits prone to violence and self-destruction. Through these characters, the narrative explored the absurdity of existence, the hidden aggression of human beings, and the influence of the subconscious.

Key Authors of the Movement

Critics include the following authors in this movement:

• Jose Luis Mendez Ferrin
• Carlos Casares
• Johan Torres
• Gonzalo

The 17th Century: A Transformative Era

Historical Context of the 17th Century

The 17th century was a period of profound change across Europe, marked by significant conflicts and shifts in power dynamics. This era, often associated with the life and thought of prominent figures like Descartes, witnessed the devastating impact of widespread warfare and the emergence of new political structures.

The Thirty Years' War and its Aftermath

The continent was embroiled in the Thirty Years' War, primarily a conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Germany, which extended across all of Europe. France, under the strong influence of the Jesuits (during the reigns of Louis XIII and XIV), stood in contrast to Holland, a more tolerant haven for philosophers... Continue reading "17th Century Europe: Society, Philosophy, and Art" »

Media Classification

Media can be classified according to the communication codes employed:

• Written Press: Employs linguistic, iconographic, and typographical codes.
• Cinema and TV: Utilize linguistic, iconographic, and chromatic codes.
• Radio: Relies on sound and linguistic codes.

Features of Mass Media

• The receiver is plural.
• Economic interests and the issuing companies' ideologies largely determine the transmitted content.
• Advertising funds the media.
• Feedback is difficult; the receiver usually cannot influence the program and its development.
• The importance that the receiver gives to the medium, for example, when we sit down to watch TV and do not see a previously selected program, that is, priority is given to the medium before the message.

Interpretative

Understanding Language Structure

Language: A system of signs and rules for combining signs, shared by speakers within a specific linguistic community. It is a social system with a general pattern common to all speakers, stable and fixed.

Speech: The individual use of language in a given circumstance. It is variable depending on the context. These terms were defined by Ferdinand de Saussure.

André Martinet introduced the concept of double articulation. The linguistic sign consists of monemes and phonemes.

Phonetics and Phonology

Phonetics: Deals with the oral language level. Its units of study are the phoneme (an abstract minimum unit without meaning that differentiates words) and the sound (a concrete realization of a phoneme uttered by an individual)... Continue reading "Understanding Language: Phonetics, Morphology, and Syntax" »

Characters in Narrative

Characters are fictional beings that experience events and perform actions in a narrative.

• Simple or flat characters: They think and act in a predictable manner.
• Complex or round characters: They modify their way of thinking and acting.

Argumentative Text

An argumentative text presents a thesis and supporting arguments to convince the recipient.

• Introduction: Presents the thesis.
• Argument: Discourse used to convince others.
• Conclusion: The resolution of the initial problem.

Word Composition

Compound words are formed from the combination of two or more simple words.

• Own composition: A word formed from two Catalan words (e.g., "painted lips").
• Cultured composition: A word formed from two Catalan words (e.g., "biblio" + "teak").
• Syntagmatic

Literary Genres: Lyrics, Epic, and Drama

Lyrics

Lyrics deal with a subjective vision. They offer an intimate perspective, revealing the mood and experiences of the speaker. The description of real elements and the narrative of events always serve to evoke the spiritual and emotional state of the poet.

Subgenres:

• Ode: The poet expresses thoughts and feelings in a restrained and rational manner.
• Hymn: A solemn composition for song.
• Elegy: A funeral chant.
• Song: Expresses emotions of the amorous type.
• Epistle: In the form of a letter, it addresses philosophical or moral issues.
• Eclogue: An exhibition of feelings of love and excitement for nature put into the mouths of shepherds.
• Sonnet, Madrigal, Lyrical Romance

Epic

The Epic genre presents an external perspective.... Continue reading "Literary Genres and Devices: A Comprehensive Breakdown" »