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

The Scream by Edvard Munch

About the Artist: Edvard Munch

• Born: December 12, 1863, Løten, Norway.
• Childhood: Marked by profound loss (his mother and later his sister Sophie died of tuberculosis), which profoundly influenced his artistic themes of sickness, insanity, and death.
• Early Career: At 17, he decided to become a painter. He enrolled at Christiania Bohemia, where artists and writers sought to challenge societal hypocrisy and narrow moral and ethical principles.
• Paris (1889): During the Impressionist revolution, Munch wrote his manifesto against Naturalism.
• Later Works: From 1902, his paintings were integrated into a "Mural of Life," which included works like The Kiss, Anguish, and The Scream.
• Health: In 1908, Munch's anxiety reached such a

Principles of Visual Representation

1. Multiple Application: A single form can represent various objects or body parts.
2. Baseline: Characters and objects need a base or fulcrum, mirrored by a skyline.
3. Perpendicularity: Objects rest perpendicularly on their base, even on slanted surfaces.
4. Size Importance: The most important elements are larger than secondary ones.
5. Isolation of Parts: In sets, draw similar elements individually to show their properties (e.g., hand and fingers).
6. Territorial Imperative: Each element has inviolable space, avoiding overlaps. Hats are tangential to the head.
7. Exemplary Manner: Choose the representation that best highlights an object's main qualities, favoring orthogonal projections.
8. Depression: Draw vertical elements (people,

The Theater in the 16th and 17th Centuries

The theater in the sixteenth century laid the groundwork for significant developments. This evolution would become the golden age of theater in the seventeenth century, branching into two main directions: the *Baroque theater* of Shakespeare in England and Lope de Vega and Calderón in Spain, and the *Classical theater* of Corneille and Molière in France.

Shakespeare is notable for his profound exploration of the human soul, expressing its innermost passions. He cultivated the three major dramatic subgenres: dramas, comedies, and tragedies. In his human tragedies, characters become symbols of humanity's great problems, such as love (Romeo and Juliet), indecision (Hamlet), and jealousy (Othello).

French

Characteristics of Baroque Architecture

• In Baroque architecture, the concepts of volume and symmetry are replaced by dynamism and theatricality. The product of this new way of designing space is a building of gigantic proportions which, rather than the accuracy of geometry, prioritizes overlapping planes and volumes. This approach aims to achieve various optical effects and color contrasts, as well as dramatic lighting, both on the facades and in the interior design. We must also note the interest in movement and the significant role of decoration.
• The anthropomorphic proportions of the Renaissance were transformed, leading to the use of duplicate columns and the giant order, continuously exploring new two-story facades. Early Baroque architects,

Calderón de la Barca (1600–1681)

After a military career, Calderón de la Barca eventually became a priest in Toledo, entering a monastery where he created most of his major works.

The Calderón Cycle Versus the Lope Cycle

Calderón's stage plays succeeded the Lope cycle. His temperament is notably more psychological and reflective of his epoch compared to Lope's work. Calderón's theater is highly systematic, contrasting with Lope's more spontaneous style. His writing is thoughtful and deep, whereas Lope is distinguished by his freshness and agility. Calderón also emphasizes strong, structured arguments.

Epochs of Calderón's Work

First Stage: Stage Drama

These early works are "comedies" very similar in characteristics to those of Lope. They... Continue reading "Calderón de la Barca: Theatrical Genius and Baroque Drama" »

Features of Spoken Language

Social partners have a choice of recording, social, or geographical range; they can even switch languages or register for greater expressiveness. The text is flexible in planning. The selection of information supports digressions, thematic breaks, repetitions; the structure of the text can be changed, and the more informal the text, the more numerous and more general the topics.

Spontaneity is reflected in linguistic forms such as frequent exclamatory and interrogative sentence patterns, and the syntax is simple. It respects the logical order of the elements of the phrase and includes frequent ellipses. Shared time and place are manifested through indexicals. Elements specific to the colloquial register appear and... Continue reading "Spoken Language Features and Narrative Structure" »

Analysis of Key Spanish Literary Works

The House of Bernarda Alba (20th Century) by Federico García Lorca

The House of Bernarda Alba is Lorca's last great drama. It exemplifies the theatrical style he developed during the final stage of his career. Perhaps the most important ethical lesson of the work is that moral codes should not supersede the needs of individuals, and society must adapt its principles to accommodate them. Federico García Lorca demonstrates that outdated rules lead to unfortunate situations for women. Bernarda creates and enforces a morality she inherited.

The House of Bernarda Alba is simple and severe in the following aspects:

• The structure consists of three acts.
• The language is generally medium register, although vulgar

Participants in Television Communication

Television communication involves several key participants:

• Issuer: This refers to a large public or private consortium controlling multiple communication-related companies, such as television chains and radio stations.
• Receiver (Spectator): Television reaches nearly the entire society. In Spain, for example, 98% of households have television, and the wide variety of content is a major cause of mass consumption.
• Message: Television images are designed to captivate the audience. They create the illusion that viewers are witnessing events firsthand, but these images are not reality. They are fast and fleeting, requiring viewers to grasp the moment. Their captivating nature also means the viewer has little

Historical Context: The Aftermath of the Spanish Civil War (1939)

The Spanish Civil War ended in 1939. The subsequent establishment of the Francoist political regime had severe consequences for Catalan culture: many politicians and intellectuals were forced into exile, and Catalans who remained in Catalonia suffered harsh repression.

The Situation of Catalan Literature in the Post-War Period

The initial post-war period led to the disappearance of Catalan literary journals, institutions, and publishers due to Francoist repression. Catalan literature only began to recover in the second half of the 1940s.

The activity of exiled Catalan culture was also crucial; they created publishing houses, magazines, and literary prizes in parallel to those established... Continue reading "The Resilience of Catalan Literature Under Francoism" »

Media: Transmitting Information

The media are systems through which information is transmitted to a wider audience, also called mass media. (Press, radio, and television).

Press: The Oldest Medium

In Spain, the first newspapers date from the eighteenth century.

Language of the Press

• Written word: Texts must be clear and easy to understand.
• Still image: Information complemented with images.
• Design elements: Major elements such as font and color.

Radio: Sound Medium

Verbal language, music, sound effects (recording or effects), silence.

Television: Moving Images

Its beginning dates back to 1929. Social influence. Aspects of the moving image. Uses music and sound effects. Dominates the spoken language.

Internet: Vast Hypertext

Multimedia language is used.

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