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

Kandinsky and the Dawn of Abstraction

Wassily Kandinsky is widely considered the father of abstract art. His work, including Composition IV, belongs to a series of completely abstract pieces.

Analyzing Composition IV

The style of Composition IV depicts an abstract battle, potentially inspired by knights or fairy tales, interpreted as a dynamic struggle between pictorial elements. Yellow confronts blue, and straight lines contrast with curved lines. While some identifiable elements might seem present initially, Kandinsky's methods tend to dissolve them, focusing instead on the contrast of colors within fluid contours.

In the center, a blue mountain appears, crowned by a castle's silhouette. Fighting knights are also depicted. Kandinsky aimed for... Continue reading "Composition IV: Kandinsky's Abstract Symphony" »

The Last Judgment

Chronology

1534-1541

Style

Renaissance style, Cinquecento period. Artist: Michelangelo. Technique: Fresco. Support: Wall. Location: Sistine Chapel, Vatican City.

• Consolidation of oil painting and introduction of new media like canvas (Flemish influence).
• Figures emphasize eyes and hands.
• Use of chiaroscuro (defines figure contours through light and shadow).
• Influence of Leonardo's sfumato and scientific perspective.
• Michelangelo's emphasis on terribilità in the Sistine Chapel.

Technique and Composition

Michelangelo meticulously prepared drawings for each figure, showcasing his anatomical knowledge. The figures possess a sculptural quality, appearing powerful, vigorous, and imbued with terribilità. Their contorted and unbalanced positions... Continue reading "The Last Judgment: A Detailed Analysis" »

Avant-Garde Movements

Avant-garde movements provide in their manifestos a break with all previous aesthetics in an attempt to radically transform traditional conceptions of art and literature. Fundamentally developed in the period of the twentieth century between wars, major movements include:

Futurism

Futurism proposes to break with classical values and traditions, imposing a Nietzschean vitalism that exalts risk and violence, progress, and the modern world. It breaks with traditional literary language; the lexicon can be created on a whim, and punctuation is dismantled.

Cubism

Cubism emerges as a pictorial current, expressing intellectual reality through geometric figures. It decomposes literary reality and then remakes it through a collage technique,... Continue reading "Avant-Garde Movements: Futurism, Cubism, Dadaism & Surrealism" »

The Realist movement in Spanish literature, particularly prominent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, saw a rise of narrators who meticulously depicted contemporary society, regional customs, and psychological depths. Here, we highlight some of the most significant figures of this period.

José María de Pereda

Born in Cantabria, José María de Pereda stands out for his vivid portrayal of local types and backgrounds, particularly for the grandeur with which he captured the nature and landscapes of his homeland in his novels. His most relevant works include:

• Sotileza: A compelling sea novel.
• Peñas Arriba: Depicting the rural mountain world, where the beauty and customs of the village people captivate the young Marcelo, who has arrived

Catalan Consonant Articulation

Place of Articulation

The place of articulation refers to the specific point in the mouth where the articulatory organs come into contact or close to modify the flow of exhaled air.

Mode of Articulation

The mode of articulation describes how the airflow is modified when air is expelled from the lungs to produce sound.

Vocal Cord Behavior

The behavior of the vocal cords determines whether the articulation occurs with or without the vibration of the vocal cords.

Consonant Classification

Consonants can be classified based on:

• Place of Articulation: Bilabial, Labiodental, Dental, Alveolar, Palatal, Velar.
• Mode of Articulation: Plosives (Stops), Fricatives, Affricates, Nasals, Laterals, Vibrants.
• Vocal Cord Behavior: Voiced or

Linguistic Signs

Linguistic signs are those used by humans in language. Language does not employ elements outside of itself. It consists of two parts:

• The material aspect: a string of letters or sounds, known as the signifier.
• The meaning: the representation that occurs in the mind of the listener or reader.

Characteristics of Magical Realism

Magical realism presents facts within a dimension where the wonderful and magical are also possible. The reader accepts what happens as plausible.

Narratives cease to be told linearly. The literary discourse is structured with temporal distortions, employing anticipation and retrospection that fragment the narrative sequence.

The Literary Boom

This process covers the period of profound changes in the network of... Continue reading "Key Concepts in Literary Theory and Movements" »

The Postwar Years (1939–1970)

The Civil War was characterized by an extreme virulence, matched only by the subsequent repression imposed by the Franco regime. This era was defined by misery, sadness, and cruelty. Historically, regions like Valencia had already been subjected to a right of conquest, such as under Philip V in 1707.

Franco's Cultural Imposition

The regime sought to impose its culture. Their goal was twofold:

1. Erase the existing culture.
2. Create a different culture, which they termed 'imperial'.

The first goal was largely achieved through the systematic attack on intellectuals, who were executed, imprisoned, or exiled. However, the second goal was not fully realized, as the regime failed to specify a cohesive new culture.

The regime's... Continue reading "Cultural Repression and Literary Resistance in Postwar Spain (1939–1970)" »

The Radio Medium

Radio is a medium designed to inform, entertain, and accompany the listener.

Radio Models and Programming

• Funding: Radio stations differ by receiving funding (public and private).
• Territorial Coverage: Stations vary by coverage (autonomic, state, or local).
• Programming Types:
  • Generalist: Offers varied programming including news, magazines, contests, musical segments, sports, and cultural content (e.g., Onda Cero).
  • Specialized: Broadcasts mono-content intended for a very specific audience (e.g., informative, musical). This includes theme radio (always on a single topic, e.g., Eje 40p.).
  • Radiofórmula: Follows a single program scheme.
  • Mixed or Hybrid: A specialized station that also features different content (e.g., Rivera Radio Axis)

Avant-Garde Movements: A Reaction to Tradition

A series of influential movements across Europe reacted against romantic subjectivism and traditional realism, profoundly shaping modern art and literature.

Futurism: Embracing the New Century

Futurism championed the neglect of emotional and 'romantic' issues, instead admiring the technical advances of the new century: machines, industry, and sports.

Cubism: Pictorial Breakdown of Reality

Cubism was a movement that sought the pictorial breakdown of traditional images into various angles and perspectives. It emerged through the paintings of Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Juan Gris. Its literary adapter was the French poet Guillaume Apollinaire, inventor of the calligrams.

Dadaism: Breaking with Bourgeois

Defining Humanism

Humanism was a cultural movement that reached its full development in the fifteenth century.

Key Figures of the Humanist Movement

The major humanists contributed significantly to the era's intellectual shift:

• Desiderius Erasmus: Defended the rise of morality and advocated for creating an intimate, personal religiosity. He was a great promoter of philosophical and historical studies.
• Thomas More: Proposed the idea of a different society based on religious tolerance and communal ownership of land.
• Luis Vives: Defended the separation between logic and metaphysics, as well as the need to base human knowledge on nature and reason.

The Revival of Classical Culture in the 15th Century

Fifteenth-century artists spoke of a revival because... Continue reading "Renaissance and Reformation: Art, Philosophy, and History" »