aRT APPRECIATION

by Jhon Grover Longsud

1st Year - 1st Semester
BSCS 1B1-A

Chapter 1 another. This new definition and

UNDERSTANDING HUMANITIES, ART, AND conception lead to what we now call
HUMAN ESSENCE "humanism" which Panofsky describes as
maintaining our rationality and freedom
while still keeping in mind our own
In the age of Instagram and Facebook, it
fallibility and frailty. Thus, responsibility for
is very easy to come across a work of
ourselves and tolerance of others.
art which is made, remade, or reused to
fit a certain purpose or value. You must
With the rise of humanism in the
have pressed that “like” or “love” button
Middle Ages, it is no wonder that new
as you deem a graphic post so relatable.
artistic styles emerged everywhere and
YouTube offers lots of tutorials and
played off one another versus the soon-to-
techniques for painting, calligraphy,
come Renaissance which radically shifts to
watercolor and others; lots of young
looking at the past as something to be
artists have been exposed to a wide
reconstructed. The humanists learned and
range of art techniques because of
grew from what they could study of the
them. Art and information are now
past but didn't emulate it. As Panofsky
within our reach. There are so many
says so beautifully, "For if human existence
sources available to learn from. The
could be thought of as a means rather than
downside of this quick information is
an end, how much less could the records of
that it is very scattered. We do not know
human activity be considered as value in
which to prioritize and are unsure if we
themselves.”
are getting the right information. Art
Appreciation on the other hand is a
The Renaissance & Humanism
discipline offered in an academic to
direct our often-ambivalent feelings The word 'renaissance' literally
toward art which is a good starting means rebirth. Between the 14th and 16th
point: YOU centuries, Europe experienced a rebirth of
Greco-Roman culture, which had died out
Lesson 1.1. Humanities and the Arts centuries before. Historians call this time
Originally, the term "humanity" period of rebirth, the Renaissance. This
implied the distinguishing between human Renaissance included a renewed interest in
beings and those considered to be less Greco-Roman texts, a rekindled love of
than human, whether that means dogs, learning, an increased interest in
goldfish, or the literal "less than humans" understanding the natural world, and the
known as the barbarians and slaves. But philosophy of humanism.
with the dawning of what we now refer to
as the Middle Ages, an interest in the Humanism is an optimistic outlook
divine arose and man began looking at emphasizing the goodness and success of
what was greater than himself. And with humanity. Before the Renaissance,
this recollection came the understanding Christian Europeans often viewed
that if some humans were considered humanity as sinful creatures who needed
subhuman, then what must humans to be constantly mindful of their souls.
appear as to God? Thus, a new definition of During this new period of rebirth, however,
"Humanitas" began infiltrating the there was much more emphasis on the
vernacular, one that implied our certain goodness of God's creation and the talents
mortality rather than superiority over one and skills God had granted humanity.

jhongroverlongsud2005@gmail.com
202480131@psu.palawan.edu.ph

1
 aRT APPRECIATION
by Jhon Grover Longsud
1st Year - 1st Semester
BSCS 1B1-A

The Northern Renaissance & How would you define ‘art’? For
Christian Humanism many people art is a specific thing; a
painting, sculpture or photograph, a dance,
The Renaissance started in Italy, a poem or a play. It is all of these things,
which had always been very aware of its and more. They are mediums of artistic
Greco-Roman heritage. As the movement expression. Webster’s New Collegiate
migrated north into places such as dictionary defines art as “The conscious
England, Germany, and Scandinavia, use of skill and creative imagination
however, some of the Greco-Roman especially in the production of aesthetic
aspects were downplayed. Instead, there objects.” Yet art is much more than a
was much more emphasis on the medium, or words on a page. It is the
understanding of Christianity, particularly expression of our experience.
early Christianity. What happened in the
north is known as the Northern Art is uniquely human and tied
Renaissance, and its version of humanism directly to culture. It takes the ordinary and
became known as Christian Humanism. makes it extraordinary. It asks questions
about who we are, what we value, the
In Christianity, Jesus is understood to meaning of beauty and the human
have both mortal and divine aspects to his condition. As an expressive medium, it
being. Before the Renaissance, Christian allows us to experience sublime joy, deep
teachings focused primarily on the sorrow, confusion, and clarity. It tests our
spiritual and divine aspects of their belief: strengths, vulnerabilities, and resolve. It
Jesus as divine, miracles, salvation, gives voice to ideas and feelings, connects
damnation, and so on. During the Northern us to the past, reflects the present, and
Renaissance, however, there was much anticipates the future. Along these lines,
more focus on Jesus the mortal man, art history, combined with anthropology
including his teachings, relationships, and and literature, are three main sources in
experiences culminating with his execution observing, recording and interpreting our
via crucifixion. This ultimately affected human past. Visual art is a rich and
many different aspects of religious life in complex subject whose definition is in flux
Northern Europe. as the culture around it changes. Because
of this, how we define art is in essence a
One of the results of this focus on question of agreement. In this respect, we
Jesus's mortal aspects was artwork that can look again to the dictionary’s definition
emphasized the physical and emotional for an understanding of exactly what to
pain associated with the crucifixion. look for when we proclaim something as
Previously, images of his death were ‘art’.
primarily about salvation through sacrifice,
and artists depicted Jesus peacefully
slumped over as if he was sleeping. Artists
influenced by Christian Humanism,
however, often depicted Jesus tightly
twisted in agony. Those witnessing his
death are shown as wrought with grief
rather than reflecting on the joy of
salvation.

jhongroverlongsud2005@gmail.com
202480131@psu.palawan.edu.ph

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 aRT APPRECIATION
by Jhon Grover Longsud
1st Year - 1st Semester
BSCS 1B1-A

Frameworks and Perspectives

Thinkers Whose Thoughts Were The

Basis Of Method In The Humanities

‘Know Thyself’ was carved into stone at the

The Two General Fields of Learning entrance to Apollo’s temple at Delphi in
1. The Sciences Greece, according to legend. Scholars,
- Deals with natural, physical philosophers, and civilizations have debated
phenomena. this question for a long time. Why have we
2. The Humanities not been able to find the answer?
- Deals with human phenomena.

jhongroverlongsud2005@gmail.com
202480131@psu.palawan.edu.ph

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 aRT APPRECIATION
by Jhon Grover Longsud
1st Year - 1st Semester
BSCS 1B1-A

THALES OF MILETUS (620-546 BC)

A Philosopher renowned as one of the
legendary Seven Wise Men, or Sophist, of
antiquity. He is remembered primarily for his
cosmology based on water as the essence of
For various reasons all matter, with Earth a flat disk floating on a
cultural, political, economic, vast sea.
and ideological that the
norm of self-knowledge has The most outstanding aspects of Thales’s
come and gone with the heritage are: The search for knowledge for
tides through Western its own sake; the development of the
history. Even if we had been scientific method; the adoption of practical
constantly enjoined to methods and their development into general
achieve self-knowledge for the 2,300 years principles; his curiosity and conjectural
since the time Socrates spoke, just as approach to the questions of natural
Sigmund Freud said about civilization; that phenomena–In the sixth century B.C.E.,
civilization is constantly being created a Thales asked the question, ‘What is the
new and everyone being born has to work basic material of the cosmos? ’The answer is
their way up to being civilized being; so, yet to be discovered.
also the project of achieving self-knowledge
is a project for every single new member of
our species. No one can be given it at birth.
It’s not an achievement you get for free like
a high IQ or a prominent chin. Continuing to
beat that drum, to remind people of the
importance of that, is something we’ll
always be doing.

“Withdraw into yourself truth dwells in the

inner man”, Agustine, 354-430 AD

“A scientist tends to know everything about

the world that he forgets to know anything
about himself.”

jhongroverlongsud2005@gmail.com
202480131@psu.palawan.edu.ph