Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
In the
ARTS
INTRODUCTION TO THE
HUMANITIES
copyright 2009 by
Steven Patrick C. Fernandez and the
authors
All Rights Reserved. No part of this
book may be reproduced or used in
any form or by any means without
written permission from the author,
except for the materials and images
that are in the public domain.
2nd printing, 2011
MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology
INTEGRATED PERFORMING ARTS
GUILD
Artists Resource Management (ARM)
A. Bonifacio Ave., Tibanga, 9200 Iligan
City
www.msuiit.edu.ph/ipag
tibofernandez@yahoo.com.ph
(063) 4922354 telfax: (063) 2232494
mobile: 09167006209
Designs and layout:
Steven Patrick C. Fernandez
CONTENTS
Preface
Part One. Mans image in the Humanities 1
Chapter 1. Man, Nature, and the Humanities
Chapter 2. What is Art?
27
37
Chapter 6. Photography
47
Chapter 7. Architecture
51
Chapter 8. Literature
57
Chapter 9. Music
65
77
85
17
103
104
107
157
169
175
193
233
Bibliography
237
preface
At last, a textbook for Humanities students of MSU-IIT!
Through the efforts of author, Steven Patrick C. Fernandez, and in
cooperation with the MSU-IITs Department of English, this book aims to fill
the lack of an accessible, inexpensive textbook for students unfilled since the
Humanities subject was offered in MSU-IIT in the 1980s.
Considering the importance placed on science and technology in this
part of the country, one can understand the dearth or paucity of such a
textbook towards a total development of students from diverse groups,
religions and persuasions. And, only those who realize that the person needs
to understand himself, and the world around him through the humanities, can
this textbook be looked upon as a significant step in breaking the biases
and/or feelings of superiority or inferiority among the literate but,
uneducated, for true education endeavors to make ma keep in touch with the
fascinating elements of life, enabling him to decide what is important and
what needs to be improved.
In 23 chapters along with a compilation of readings, this textbook
introduces the students to the various disciplines like philosophy, history,
religion, architecture, literature and the fine arts, among others, under the
all-embracing subject humanities. In other words, the students read about,
and experience for the first time, ideas, art works, artists, and places they
either have a vague idea of, or, have no notion of throughout the history of
the world.
Commercialism and personal concerns seem to define the spirit of our
age today and, in a way, have diminished the appreciation of the fines things
in life making most people the poorer for it. It is with pride that the MSU-IIT
has professors such as Fernandez who could produce a humanities textbook
to help create an atmosphere for research and publication to benefits its
students, leave a legacy worth the emulation of his colleagues, and
contribute to the prestige of the Institute.
To the students: enjoy this textbook in order for you to discover why
works of art, for instance, have continued to influence the worlds events and
move many more to tears of action to understand that, in reality, life and art,
at some point merge because man must know how to live in order to
complete his journey as a human being on earth.
CHRISTINE F. GODINEZORTEGA
November 17, 2009
Part
one
THE HUMAN
IMAGE
IN THE ARTS
4
Man, Nature,
&
5
Man, Nature,
&
the
Venus of Willendorf
&
Another Venus goddess is the Venus of Laussell, a 20,000-year old 18-inch (1 feet) high limestone bas-relief
sculpture of a nude female figure. The figure holds a curved bison horn in its right hand. It was founded on a sheltered wall of
limestone in the Dordogne Valley in France. Specialists believe that the horn symbolizes both the crescent moon and the
Universal Vulva, the source of all life. The horn is incised with thirteen notches, corresponding to the 13 lunar months in a year.
Researchers also say that these marks represent the menstrual cycles in one year. Like the later Willendorf icon that
represents fertility, the Laussel figure with large breasts and vulva has her hand on her womb.
7
Man, Nature,
&
the