ART AS A HUMANISTIC DISCIPLINE humans appear as to God?

And thus a new

definition of "humanitas" began infiltrating
Panofsky begins his essay by putting
the vernacular, one that implied our certain
into perspective the ambiguity of the word
mortality rather than superiority over one
"humanitas". The brief story of Immanuel
another. This new definition and conception
Kant gives the reader the most swift yet
lead to what we now call "humanism" which
clear understanding of this duality. It would
Panofsky describes as maintaining our
seem that Kant is simply being gracious and
rationality and freedom while still keeping
respectful to his guest and therefor is acting
in mind our own fallibility and frailty. Thus,
"humanely" as it were, but by unpacking this
responsibility for ourselves and tolerance to
tale further we see that that single
others (p. 2).
understanding of the word really holds
within itself both meanings. Kant treats his With the rise of humanism in the
doctor with the dignity and respect that he is Middle Ages, it is no wonder that new
owed, not because of his doctoral status but artistic styles emerged everywhere and
because of his being human, and with Kant played off one another versus the soon to
himself eroding away despite whatever come Renaissance which radically shifts to
efforts the doctor tries, the both of them looking at the past as something to be
recognize that only God will remain eternal. reconstructed. The humanists learned and
grew from what they could study of the past
Originally, the term "humanity"
but didn't emulate it. As Panofsky says so
implied the distinguishing between human
beautifully, "For, if human existence could
beings and those considered to be less than
be thought of as a means rather than an end,
human, whether that mean dogs, goldfish, or
how much less could the records of human
the literal "less than humans" known as the
activity be considered as value in
barbarians and slaves. But with the dawning
themselves" (p. 4). To the humanist there are
of what we now refer to as the Middle Ages,
two distinctions to be made: the one of
an interest in the divine arose and man
nature and the one of culture. Everything
began looking at what was greater than
falls into one category or the other, being
himself. And with this recollection came the
that all things are either found in nature or
understanding that if some humans were
are man-made, and whatever camp that
considered subhumans, then what must
might be, the situation always has to make and frail sense of the word. Everything we
sense at the end of the day. Meaning, that if know at the start just presupposes the end,
something is new and alters our current philosophically called an "organic situation"
perception, whether this be historic, (p. 9).
scientific or what have you, then our
Speaking of painting, Panofsky
understanding must be malleable enough
breaks down the term little by little until it
(and we must be open enough) to accept this
hardly resembles itself. He calls a painting a
new idea (of course, pending it's accuracy).
work of art, but picks this apart to make the
That said, the old ideas must maintain
distinction that although something is not
credibility, not to be confused with validity,
necessarily created with the intention of
for even if something is outdated, it lead to a
being experienced aesthetically, it still has
new and improved thought or idea, and as a
aesthetic significance if not aesthetic value.
stepping stone was integral to our current
But in order to appreciate it fully we must
knowledge. This is true for the historian as
remove our own desires, conceptions and
well as the scientist, who constantly learns
knowledge about the subject we view. But
from those who studied before him. Thus,
this is subject to the object itself, because
science and culture are inevitably linked. It
man-made objects always have the creators
is impossible to know something fully
intention embedded within. Of course, that
without understanding it's history both
intention might be for us to interpret it as we
scientifically and culturally. Panofsky uses a
will, and so we might be at liberty to do so.
painting as an example, for if we know it
Sometimes, practicality calls us to create
scientifically to be dated in 1400, we are
something that does not demand any
useless to understand it unless we know
aesthetic praise and are generally "vehicles
culturally and historically where it was
of communication and tools or apparatuses"
painted. And similarly, if we know it to be
(p. 12). Of course, aesthetically intended
from a Florentine school, we are also
objects tend to fall into one or both of these
trapped without knowing when it was
categories, for works of art are indeed
created (p. 7). This is all of course, relative,
vehicles of communication, candlesticks are
as we must resign ourselves to the fact that
apparatuses and tombs are either or both.
everything we can learn and study with and
But keep in mind that some things are
from is subject to "humanity" in the fallible
artistic and happen to be useful, as well as
can be artistic although not intended to be.
Here now is a difference between the
scientist and the humanist. The scientist is
able to analyze almost immediately while
the humanist must re-enact and re-create
mentally. As such, the scientist can simply
read and interpret a book on art history but
the humanist must understand what the book
says in so far as it's meaning and impact on
the reader. Unfortunately though, the art
within the book, however scrutinizing and
finicky one gets with art history (comparable
to the exactness which science is subject to),
most of the people to view a work of art are
not going to recognize it's full capacity. And
even those who do are influenced by their
own agendas. But each viewer will
inevitably see the form, the idea, and the
content and will enjoy it to varying degrees.
Thus there is no technically "naive"
beholder of a work of art. For if a person has
never seen art before in his life he will be
affected greatly by even the most banal
painting that would leave a heavily
marinated art historian aghast with disgust.
The art historian's experiences have taught
him to compare this work to others, to
interpret the Where, When, Why, and How
about the piece while the "naive" viewer will
revel in the use of color and form because it
is entirely unfamiliar. But while the "naive"
viewer is radically less seasoned than the art
historian, his lack of experience taints this
new one. And so although one can look
upon art "naively", he is not necessarily
"naive". And tying back into the humanistic
point of view, this naivety leads toward
"appreciationism" (p. 19); the idea of
learning about art without reference to
anything historical, versus
"connoisseurship" where one collects art and
enjoys it in respect to it's quality and
condition. The "connoisseur" knows
everything to say about the art but limits
himself from the details that the art historian
pours himself over.
All this talk of art history could seem
like a tangent away from the idea of
"humanity", and so Panofsky pumps the
breaks on his essay by asking why we
should consider art history as part of "the
humanities". The question begs the practical
answer that we are interested in the past, but
further still, because we are interested in
reality. Everything that has happened
historically and scientifically was and is real
life to a certain degree and thus our interest
in it. Though here is another difference
between the humanities and the sciences:
when looking at science we capture and
preserve what we observe in order to learn
from it, and what we observe is constantly an artist, while a watchmaker would be a
naturally occurring. For the humanities, we craftsperson; someone who makes glass
look at what once was and when we put it might be a craftsman, but a person who
into practice we bring it back to life. makes stained glass is an artist. The idea is
that artists are somehow superior because
Despite their differences, the
they 'create' things of beauty, while
humanities actually complement the
craftsmen perform repetitive or purely
sciences and vice versa. It's only that the
functional actions. There may be some truth
exactness of science is a mastery and the
behind this theory, but many types of
depth of the humanities is wisdom (p. 25).
craftsmanship seem no different to genuine
Our frail and fallible human bodies leave
art. An example perhaps, is a cartoonist-
behind frail and fallible records of our frail
animator, exployed to draw thousands of
and fallible lives oddly turning our
similar pictures of a cartoon character like
inescapable mortality into a kind of
'Charlie Brown'. True, his 'art' is purely
immortality for subsequent mortals to
functional and highly commercial, but no
humanistically or scientifically observe. And
one could deny he was an artist.
so, the duality we face regarding the
definition of "humanity" still remains.

According to the traditional theory of THE HUMANITIES IN WESTERN

art, there is a basic difference between an CIVILIZATION
'art' and a 'craft'. Put simply, although both
In the Cosmocentric view human
activities involve creative skills, the former
person is studied or understood in relation to
involves a higher degree of intellectual
the Cosmos. Here, the Cosmos is at the
involvement. Under this analysis, a basket-
centre. Hence, the Cosmos is given great
weaver (say) would be considered a
importance.
craftsperson, while a bag-designer would be
considered an artist. In this rather artificial Theocentric view where human
distinction between arts and crafts, person is being studied or understood in
functionality is a key factor. Thus, a jeweller reference to God. Here, human person is
who designs and makes non-functional items considered to be the image of God. He is
like rings or necklaces would be considered
being created by God, in His own image and History refers to a branch of
likeness. knowledge that records and explains past
events.
In the Anthropocentric view here, the human
person himself is the point of the departure. Language refers to the subjects (such
He himself becomes the basis and object of as reading, spelling, literature, and
the study matter. composition) that aim at developing the
student's comprehension and capacity for
Scientific-Technocentric believes in
use of written and oral language.
classical science, technology, conventional
economic thinking, and in the human control Philosophy refers to a search for a
over nature. Such view is almost arrogant in general understanding of values and reality
its assumption that man is supremely able to by chiefly speculative rather than
understand and control events to suit his observational means.
purposes and more anthropocentric in the
Art refers to the conscious use of
sense that it views humankind as separate
skill and creative imagination especially in
from and superior to nature and that the
the production of aesthetic objects.
earth is regarded as a life support system for
the benefit of human beings.

Eclectic view refers to a conceptual VISUAL ARTS

approach that does not hold rigidly to a
The visual arts are art forms such as
single paradigm or set of assumptions, but
painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture,
instead draws upon multiple theories, styles,
ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking,
or ideas to gain complementary insights into
design, crafts, and architecture. Many
a subject, or applies different theories in
artistic disciplines (performing arts,
particular cases. However, this is often
conceptual art, textile arts) involve aspects
without conventions or rules dictating how
of the visual arts as well as arts of other
or which theories were combined.
types. Also included within the visual arts
are the applied arts such as industrial design,
graphic design, fashion design, interior
HUMANISTIC DISCIPLINE
design and decorative art.
 Current usage of the term "visual PERFORMING ARTS
arts" includes fine art as well as the applied
Performing arts are a form of art in
or decorative arts and crafts, but this was not
which artists use their voices, bodies or
always the case. Before the Arts and Crafts
inanimate objects to convey artistic
Movement in Britain and elsewhere at the
expression. It is different from visual arts,
turn of the 20th century, the term 'artist' had
which is when artists use paint, canvas or
for some centuries often been restricted to a
various materials to create physical or static
person working in the fine arts (such as
art objects. Performing arts include a range
painting, sculpture, or printmaking) and not
of disciplines which are performed in front
the decorative arts, craft, or applied art
of a live audience.
media. The distinction was emphasized by
artists of the Arts and Crafts Movement, Theatre, music, dance and object
who valued vernacular art forms as much as manipulation, and other kinds of
high forms. Art schools made a distinction performances are present in all human
between the fine arts and the crafts, cultures. The history of music and dance
maintaining that a craftsperson could not be date to pre-historic times whereas circus
considered a practitioner of the arts. skills date to at least Ancient Egypt. Many
performing arts are performed
The increasing tendency to privilege
professionally. Performance can be in
painting, and to a lesser degree sculpture,
purpose built buildings, such as theatres and
above other arts has been a feature of
opera houses, on open air stages at festivals,
Western art as well as East Asian art. In both
on stages in tents such as circuses and on the
regions painting has been seen as relying to
street.
the highest degree on the imagination of the
artist, and the furthest removed from manual Live performances before an
labour – in Chinese painting the most highly audience are a form of entertainment. The
valued styles were those of "scholar- development of audio and video recording
painting", at least in theory practiced by has allowed for private consumption of the
gentleman amateurs. The Western hierarchy performing arts.
of genres reflected similar attitudes.
The performing arts often aim to
express one's emotions and feelings.

LINGUISTIC
Linguistic arts is the study and
improvement of the arts of language.
Traditionally, the primary divisions in
language arts are literature and language,
where language in this case refers to both
linguistics, and specific languages.
Language arts instruction typically consists
of a combination of reading, writing
(composition), speaking, and listening. In
schools, language arts is taught alongside
science, mathematics, and social studies. It
is the scientific study of language. It
involves analysing language form, language
meaning, and language in context.
ANALYSIS OF ART BASED ON THREE
HUMAN FACULTIES
Visual Elements
Color refers to the light reflected off
objects. Color has three main characteristics:
hue (red, green, blue, etc.), value (how light
or dark it is), and intensity (how bright or
dull it is). Colors can be described as warm
(red, yellow) or cool (blue, gray), depending
on which end of the color spectrum they fall.
Shape and form define objects in
space. Shapes have two dimensions–height
and width–and are usually defined by lines.
Forms exist in three dimensions, with
height, width, and depth.
A line is an identifiable path created
by a point moving in space. It is one-
dimensional and can vary in width,
direction, and length. Lines often define the
edges of a form. Lines can be horizontal,
vertical, or diagonal, straight or curved,
thick or thin. They lead your eye around the
composition and can communicate
information through their character and
direction.
Representation
To represent is "to bring to mind by
description," also "to symbolize, to be the
embodiment of;" from representer (12c.),
from L. repraesentare, from re-, intensive
prefix, + praesentare "to present," lit. "to
place before".
A representation is a type of
recording in which the sensory information
about a physical object is described in a
medium. The degree to which an artistic
representation resembles the object it
represents is a function of resolution and
does not bear on the denotation of the word.
Emotional Suggestion
One central feature of aesthetic
experiences is their ability to arouse
emotions in perceivers. It feels natural to
experience joy, pleasure shivers down the
spine, awe in sight of grandiose artworks, or
sometimes even negative emotions of fear,
anger or disgust in front of visually
challenging stimuli. However, although it is
generally agreed that the arts can readily
evoke emotions, the nature of these
experiences and specifically how emotions
in the arts are perceived and represented on
a subjective, bodily, and evaluative level is a
heavily debated issue (see e.g., Konecni,
2015; Matthew Pelowski, Markey, Forster,
Gerger, & Leder, 2017; Scherer, 2005).
Intellectual Meaning
Sometimes when we look at a piece
of art we understand it. It’s meaning is
obvious to us. Sometimes we do not
understand it on a rational level, we simply
feel something when we look at it. We can’t
always tell why. Artists rarely provide a
clear explanation of what their work is
about. The only thing we can tell is that
there is a reason behind it. No act of
creativity can be said to come without
meaning or substance.
Not every artist understands why he
creates something, but one thing that we can
say beyond doubt is that culture and
surroundings are of constant impact on the
artist. And their work will often reflect in
part their own culture and surroundings and
often impart to us their own reactions to
such things, although not always. In this all
art is connected. Nothing is truly devoid of
meaning. Everything is a reaction to
something.
ART AND THE PERCEPTION OF
REALITY
Perception in art stands for a
complex relation between visual stimuli and
a personal understanding of them. It is a
theoretical postulate that aims to clarify the
relation between artworks and individual
opinions and evaluations. Far from being a
universally established matrix of
understanding art, perception is conditioned
by a context from which observation and
evaluation are made. Instead of general
models of understanding, it is conditioned
by numerous factors, including political,
social, cultural, gender and racial. It affects
how we see art and what meanings we
attribute to it, but is also an active factor in
artistic creation. It would be hard to make
assertions about the meaning of art without
the previously established notions of value
that come from multifaceted perceptual
conditionings. The views of both an artist
and an observer contribute to
understanding of art, and the first is not
distinguished in its importance from the
second.
As seen from numerous historical
examples perception affects the meaning we
attribute to art, and often
understandings change over the course of
time. Some universal postulates may persist,
but most of them are dependent on the
particular social mores of a given time.
Perception and our opinions are closely
linked. Turning to art, we can see that
throughout history evaluation of artistic
styles changed over the course of time,
which contributes to the above assertion of a
connectedness between our opinions and
perception of art.
At its most basic,
representational theory states that
fundamental, definitive quality of art is the
ability to capture some aspect of reality. In
short, if it's not a reflection of something
that actually exists, then it's not art. This
means that art can be defined foremost as an
extension of human perception; it's a way to
reflect the ways that the mind perceives and
understands reality. This makes
representational theory distinct from other
ideologies, such as the expressive theory,
the which sees the fundamental role of art as the
expression of emotion.
The roots of representational theory
date all the way back to ancient Greece,
when imitation theory was the foundation of
artistic principles. According to the ancient
such Greeks, the definitive role of art is to imitate
nature in its most perfect forms, which is
why everybody in Greek sculpture is so
impossibly (and perhaps frustratingly) good-
looking.
Later theorists would revise imitation
theory, claiming that the purpose of art was
not to strictly imitate nature, but to represent
it in any form. The representational theory
has been an important part of Western art
since the fall of Rome, after which art
became less naturalistic for a while. The
the direct imitation of reality in art was seen as
the an act of hubris - a human attempt to
recreate the creation of God. However,
through slight abstractions, artists could still
represent reality without blaspheming.
To these and later theorists, art should
represent reality, but could do so in a myriad
of ways. Artists can focus on the ugly, the
horrific, and even things that cannot be
physically seen. A perfect example is the
representation of God. While God cannot be
seen, the figure of God or the presence of
God is one of the most ubiquitous motifs of
Western art. The job of art is not to directly
imitate the appearance of God, since God
cannot be seen, but to find ways of
representing divinity……