LECTURE ON HUMANITIES

DR THEODORE MICHAEL G. FUDOTAN, Ph.D

WHAT IS HUMANITIES?

The term Humanities is derived from Latin word “Humanus”, meaning human, refined
and cultured. It is based on the philosophical view of humanism which stresses the dictum of
Phytagoras, a Greek philosopher, that “man is the measure of all things,” implying that the
humanities emphasizes the dignity and worthiness of man and recognizes creative expression.

Humanism, believes that man should be humanized, socialized and educated to respond
positively to rapid changes. It is in the humanities course where appreciation of the arts can be
strengthened because the artiste convey their thoughts, beliefs, values and feelings through the
visual arts, literary arts, dance and music. As aptly put by one writer:

….if a man is to live like a human being, his heart and mind must be nourished. And the
best spiritual nourishment comes from the Humanities.

What art Is?

Art is derived from Latin word “ARS”, meaning ability or skill. In the sense, art is used
in many varied ways. It covers those areas of artistic creativity that seek to communicate beauty
primarily through the senses. Art embraces the visual arts, literature, music and dance.

In a more specialized sense, art applies to such activities that expresses aesthetic ideas by
the use of skill and imagination in the creation of objects, environment and experiences which
can be shared with others. In this sense, we can say we are involved in art work when we plan,
design and construct our houses artistically; when we paint and decorate them beautifully; when
we landscape the garden artistically; when we paint a poster; and when we write poems, essays,
biographies, short stories and plays.

We can also say that we are involved in art when we compose a melody; sing songs
beautifully, and dance gracefully. All this imply that anything accomplished with great skill is art.
Hence, there is the art of dressing, of relaxing, art of cooking and in almost all human activities.

A WORK OF ART
 A work of art is an activity that involves both imagination and skill in accomplishing it. It
creates aesthetic feelings or experiences which delight and satisfy our desire for beautiful things.
It is great when the aesthetic experience it creates uplifts us and stays vividly in our minds. Much
more, a work of art is presented in beautiful language, interesting to read, arouses emotional
response, and it has rich imagery.

There are works of art that are fairly easy to understand. We like to see and enjoy them.
They take our minds off our troubles for a while. Folk and modern dances, songs and stage play
provide entertainment and pleasant experiences only for a while. Here lies the difference
between a great work of art and a work of art for entertainment.

According to Bogart, a work of art is a record of a particular artist’s view. It shows

something that he has seen, felt and thought of and recorded it as an arrangement of designs,
color, lines and tones or words which satisfy his aesthetic purpose. A work of art is the product of
the artist’s unique personality influenced consciously or unconsciously by factors such as: his
environment, traditions, national traits, religious belief, economic conditions, his ideals, or even
the climate and geography. A work of art represents or reflects the individual, the character of the
period and the place where it was produced.

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF ART WORKS

The arts differ in some important ways. Words are used in the verbal arts like poetry,
prose and drama, while musical notes are used in musical composition.

The visual arts like painting, sculpture and architecture, use lines, colors and tones or
canvass. Operas and novels on tell stories and so do music and dances. However, it is faster and
easier to understand and appreciate a song or dance than a painting and a symphony.

In the case of poetry, the fixture of the poetic frame are rhyme, meter, expressive sound
and distinctive grammatical construction of words and metaphor. These are not found in novels
and short stories.

The emotion or passion evoked by work of art differs from person to person. Some
perceive the proportion of cubes and squares and harmony of colors without being deeply moved
by them. The difference is due to the feelings evoke by the work of art among the viewers. How
one is carried away by a work of art depends on the emotions evoked by the art work.

THE ARTIST IN THE WORLD OF ART

 The artist’s credo “art for arts sake” implies that beauty is the reason for the art work.
Thus, the artist concern is the minds of the viewers and readers. The artist communicates his
thoughts, fantasies, observations, and self-revelation through his art. He seeks to open our eyes
and ears that we may see the world more clearly and find the meaning of the arts in our lives.
Thus, our role is to sense what the artist is trying to tell us through his art work.

Artists are called by many varied names. There are artists in the visual arts, literature,
music and dance.

1. THE VISUAL ARTISTS

The visual artists include the painter, the architect and sculpture. The painter paints pictures
and objects from his own imaginations. He says “I THINK, I SEE.” Through his paintings, the
painter reveals what he thinks he has seen so that we, too, can see it with our own eyes.

The sculptor meanwhile, draws and carves the original designs and sketches. He makes scale
model statues of human beings, monuments, buildings and decorations in clay and chisels out
statues from marbles, stone, wood, and clay.

The architect on the other hand, plans, designs and construct public and commercial
buildings, private residences, theaters, factories, schools and similar structures. He plans the
layout of structures and coordinates the structural ornamental elements into a unified design. He
prepare sketches of proposed buildings and write the specification. He prepares scale drawings
and details for the use of buildings sites to ensure compliance with the plans and specification.
He also designs and oversees the repair and remodeling the buildings. He lays out the
development of urban areas. The landscape architect works with lawns, plants, roads, level of
road and bridges, hills and valleys.

Other artists in the visual arts are the photographers, filmmakers, and graphic artists.

2. ARTISTS IN MUSIC AND DANCE (OR ART of MOVEMENTS)

In the art of music, the artists are the musicians, the singers, and the composers. The
composers put tones together and composes melodies and songs. He conceives and originates
pieces of music. He is a song writer. He says “I THINK, I HEAR.” Through his musical
compositions, the composer conveys his thoughts and feelings which he wishes to share with
others.

The musician is an artist who is also called by other names such as composer, performer,
instrumentalist, symphonist, organist, pianist, violinist, flutist, harper, trumpeter, bugler, and
drummer. He may be a music leader, bandmaster, choirmaster, concertmaster or song leader.
 A singer is a songster, an opera singer, prima donna or a diva. He may be a vocalist or a
soloist. He is also an artist who sings aesthetically to delight and entertain others.

The choreographer is an artist who composes or teaches choreography, or the art of

representing stage dancing by signs or music. He composes and arranges the dance movements
or patterns to accompany a piece of music or to develop a theme.

The dancer is an artist who moves his body artistically. He also makes gestures beautifully
with the music that accompanies his movements. He is involved in stage or ballet dancing. The
female ballet dancer is known as danseuse while the male ballet dancer is called danseure.

3. THE LITERARY ARTISTS

The artists in literature are known as poets, novelist, writers or authors, playwrights and
dramatists. The poet is a literary artist who puts words aesthetically together in verse form. He
expresses his thoughts and feelings in verses or poems. He says “This is he way I can best
express my inner thoughts and feelings.”

The novelist is a writer of fiction with originality. He is also known as writer of stories.

The author is also known as a writer. The author of a poem is called a poet. The author of a
dramatic play is a dramatist.

The playwright writes plays and adapts his materials for the stage, radio, television or motion
pictures production.

The dramatist writes compositions in prose and poetry arranged for excitement to be
performed by actors and actresses on stage to portray a character or tell a story through action or
dialogue of characters. The dramatist is engaged in dramatic art.

WHY ARTIST HAVE SO MANY NAMES

The artist are called by so many names because of their varied expertise in the use of
different media or materials. While the painter paints with pigments and uses oil and colors,
canvass or tempera, the architect works the designs and the sculptor works with images. Whole
the poet uses words and speak in rhymes, the musician and composer use musical notes or tones
and spoken words that are sang. The writer, novelist, playwright and dramatist use words to
express their thoughts and feelings, in some literary forms like short story, a novel, a poem or
dramatic play. Each artist hears and sees the things that impress him. He portrays what he knows
and what he thinks things look like.

GROUPING THE ARTS

The arts are generally grouped into major and minor arts. Major arts include painting,
architecture, sculpture, literature, music and dance. Minor arts include the decorative arts, the
popular arts, the graphic arts, the plastic arts, and industrial arts.

According to Webster, the major arts involves man’s skill to create works of art that are in
form, content, and execution, aesthetically pleasing and meaningful as in music, painting,
architecture and sculpture. They are called major arts because they appeal to the senses of sight,
hearing and feelings. They are more notable and conspicuous in effect, dignity, interest and scope
than those in the minor arts. Much more, considerable improvement in quality or extent has been
made in this area.

The aesthetic factor in the minor arts lies in the “styling”. They are addressed primarily to
the sense of sight and their usefulness. The minor arts are inferior in degree, especially in the
extent of aesthetic quality.

The arts may also be grouped into the following:

1. VISUAL ARTS. These artworks are perceived by our eyes which may be classified into
graphic arts and plastic arts and plastic arts .

1.1 GRAPHIC ARTS. They have flat two-dimensional surface such as painting,
drawing, photography and other products of the printing industry. It covers the
commercial arts like the design of books, advertisements, signs, posters and other
display for advertisement.
1.2 PLASTIC ARTS. These are visual arts which have three-dimensional forms. Under
this grouping are: architectural designs and construction of buildings and other
structures; landscape of gardens, parks, playgrounds, golf course with plants, trees,
vines and ground cover; interior design for convenience and beauty which include
the furnishing, accessories, the floor, ceiling and wall paper or paint; and the textiles
for curtains and upholstery; sculpture which produces objects and images out of
stones, wood, clay, metal or ivory; crafts or the designing and making of objects such
as: jewelry, ceramics, leather-works, and weaving; industrial arts which involve
specialized skill in making industrial designs of automobiles and household
appliances; the design of clothing apparel such as dresses, coats, suits, ties, shoes,
bags; and design for stage production. The aesthetic factor lies in the “styling”.
 2. PERFORMING ARTS. These include the theater, play, dance and music. They involve
movement, speaking and gestures.
3. LITERARY ARTS. These include the short stories, novels, poetry and dramas.
4. POPULAR ARTS. These include the film, newspaper, magazine, radio television. This
group is characterized as gay and lively.
5. GUSTATORY ART of the CUISINE. This involves skill in food preparation.
6. DECORATIVE ARTS. They are visual objects produced for beautifying houses, office,
cars and other structures. They are also called applied arts.

VALUES AND REASONS FOR ART

For a variety of reasons, the arts are valuable in our lives. We create things to serve our
practical purposes. We made things that are pleasing to the eye or ear.

We commemorate certain occasions with paintings, songs, dances and dramatic plays to
heighten the importance of such events and to keep them memorable and pleasurable. We also
build monuments to remind us of the heroic deeds of great men. In all these activities, the
various works of art come into play.

Arts works are also valuable sources of inspiration and aesthetic experience. We are
delighted by the books we are read and we are moved by the music we hear. We also get deep
satisfaction from them. We enjoy a masterpiece of painting or a first-rate play because they
capture and hold our concentrated attention. We are inspired to plan and construct our houses
beautifully when we are stimulated by modern architectural designs.

Through the artist’s work, we also get a glympse of the thoughts, feeling and beliefs of
the people in their time and the forces in their environment that influenced their art work. We
also value beautiful things as a consequence of our encounter with the arts. out of the aesthetic
experiences we derive from the arts, we may be influenced to change our ways. They may
transform us into highly cultured, dignified and respectable human beings. The arts may beautify
our humanity.

SOME BASIC ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE ARTS

Our attitudes towards the arts may be influenced by these assumptions:

 1. Art has been created by various people, at all places and time. Art exist because it is liked
and enjoyed. Art does grow old.
2. Art is something to be seen, or heard.
3. Art is the product of man’s imagination, good taste and skill in doing things.
4. Nature is artful. Its beauty and artistry could be enhanced.

The way we perceive the arts depends largely on the kind of person we are as a result of past
training and experiences, inclination or aptitude and special interest for any of the arts. That is,
we may find that going to art galleries or attending concerts and listening to operas and
symphonies are pleasurable when we have previous training and special interest for the arts.

SOME GUIDELINES IN UNDERSTANDING A WORK OF ART

Here are some guide questions to aid one’s understanding of a piece of art work
particularly in the visual arts:

1. What did the artist make? What is it about? (This concerns the subject)
2. What did the artist want to show in his work? What is the artwork for? (This concern the
function of the art)
3. What is the artwork made of? (This refers to the materials or medium used)
4. How is the material put together or organized? (This refers to the materials or medium
used)
5. What is the personality or individuality of the art work? (This refers to the style and
mood or temper of the art work)
6. How good is it? (This is the judgment)
7. What is the meaning conveyed by the art? How does it make life more meaningful?

The aforementioned guidelines are essential to understanding the works in visual arts,
particularly in painting, architecture and sculpture. Consequently, it may result in a better
appreciation of the arts. For like ideas unused, art unappreciated is ignorance. Fully appreciated,
art enables us “to see the world in a grain of sand and the rise above the sod of clay and to mount
to heaven round by round.”