ART APPRECIATION Art Style
HUM 01
Reading: February 24 & 26
On Beauty
Beauty is important in human life.
Man strives for perfection. He has a natural
tendency to contemplate and enjoy perfect and
beautiful things. Our minds are attuned to beautiful
objects and dislike disorder and ugliness. Beautiful
things are things in order, things combined in a
harmonious way, things with precision, purpose and
proportion. There are no mistakes in beautiful
things: everything is appropriate, interesting,
relevant and perfect.
Anything that is beautiful is also meaningful because
it impresses our imagination and affects our lives.
Men need the experience of the beautiful to free
themselves from their anxieties, worries, tensions,
fatigue, passions and sorrows.
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Significance of Art
The arts constitute one of the oldest and most
important means of expression developed by human
being. Art has grown as a universal “language
expressing man’s feelings.” More than being a
language, art is also pervasive and potent cultural
force as evidenced in primitive societies. Knowledge
of the art opens the threshold of the “rich and
interesting world around him, teaching him about
his own history and culture, as well as those of other
people.”
It concerns itself with communication of certain
ideas and feelings by means of sensuous medium,
like color, words, film, and other media. These
media are designed into symbolic language
characterized by aesthetic beauty “that appeals to
our mind, arouses our emotions, kindles our
imagination and enchants our senses.” Man learns
to analyze and interpret the meanings and
interpretations to communicate his ideas. It further
cultivates one’s abilities for “self-expression,
imagination and creativity as well as critical thinking
and problem solving skills.”
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Art Style is an artist’s way of presenting his work.
To enable an audience specify the style of the artist,
here are questions he might need:
 What are the common characteristics
present in the artworks of the artist?
 Describe the use of elements of art and
principles of design that identify the
artworks of the same artist.
“The manner in which artists express themselves
constitutes their style. Style gives us that body of
characteristics that identifies an artwork with an
individual, a historical period, a school of artists, or
a nation.”
(Sporre)
Factors Affecting Art Style
Geographical Factors
The place where the artist stays influences his works.
His nationality and locality do so. (ex. Romblon’
marble sculptures, Eskimos’ igloos)
Historical Factors
Historical events exert a great influence on artists.
(ex. Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo,
Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables)
Social Factors
Society dictates the types of artworks to be
produced. (ex. ‘Indie films ‘Kubrador’ and
Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros’)
Ideational Factors
The ideas coming from various people also influence
artists. (ex. Sigmund Freud influenced artists that
gave rise to ‘nudism’)
Psychological Factors
At times, the works produced by the artists are
affected by their psychological make-up or frame of
mind. (ex. Edward Munch’s ‘The Sick Child’, Vincent
Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’)
Technical factors
Techniques matter as far as artistic styles are
concerned. (ex. use of different brushes; use of hand,
or moth or feet)
Political factors
Politicians and government officials sometimes
exert an influence to artist. (ex. propagandists’ and
revolutionists’ satires, Cory Aquino’s banning of X-
rated films)
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Functions of Art
Individual Function
Artists have their own personal reasons for
indulging in art. (ex. Robert Browning’s poem ‘My
last Dutchess’ that was intended to express his love
to Elizabeth Barrett)
Religious Function
Art forms are used by people in executing their faith
and beliefs (ex. designs of churches and mosques,
music and dance for praise, worship, and rituals)
Physical Function
Products of art tend to be physically beneficial and
advantageous for man. (ex. houses are constructed
for protection, dance as an exercise, music as a
therapy)
Aesthetic Function
Artworks serve to beautify. (ex. paintings,
sculptures, tall building are sights to behold)

Social Function
Through art, we are influenced on how to think, to
feel, to move and to decide. With this, art tends to
influence the collective behavior of people for a
cause. Collective behavior is important because it is
an indicator of change. Thus, social reforms might
be instituted and outworn social structures are
discarded. (ex. Jose Rizal’s writings to arouse social
consciousness)

Economic Function
Many people believe that it does not pay to be an
artist. However, this belief is negated by facts that
prove artists are paid well, even much more than any
person can think of. Art also provides for living. (ex.
J. K. Rowling being the most highly-paid women in
British history)

Political Function
The uplifting of the arts are sometimes product of
the nation’s leaders initiative (ex. Imelda Marcos
promotion of programs/projects such as the CCP
Complex)

Historical Function
Art forms serve to record historical figures and
events. (ex. Tombs of rulers: Pyramids of Egypt, Taj
Mahal of India; The Our Lady of EDSA Shrine)

Cultural Function
Art forms are embodiment of a nation’s culture. It
reflects the material and non-material culture of the
people. (ex. buildings, furniture and clothes are a
country’s material culture; music, dance and
language are its non-material culture)