Lecture 5: The Seven Arts

I. PAINTING
➢ Painting is the art of creating meaningful effects on a flat surface by the use of pigments.
Different mediums are used in painting. Each medium exerts a pronounced effect on the
finished product, is capable of varied treatment, and determines its own stroke.

First painting that archeologist discovered

➢ Archeologist discovered the oldest known representational artwork the “three wild pigs"
that is painted deep in a limestone in the cave of Indonesia. It is made more than 45,000
years ago.

Painting during Paleolithic Era

➢ The painting found that is made during the Paleolithic Era are cave paintings such as
Chauvet and many more.

II. ARCHITECTURE
➢ Art is the pursuit and creation of beautiful things while architecture is the making of beautiful
buildings. If we look around us today, we would notice a wide variety of styles of
architecture. Such variety has always existed. The modern houses and buildings contrast
with building and dwellings of only one generation ago. A building, whatever it may be,
must be measured by the standards of its own period rather than ours.

Small History
➢ The history of architecture traces the changes in architecture through various traditions,
regions, overarching stylistic trends, and dates. The beginnings of all these traditions is
thought to be humans satisfying the very basic need of shelter and protection.

Famous Architectures that are made:

1. Stonehenge
– Stonehenge, a circular arrangement of large
stones located near Salisbury, England.
– It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen
standing stones, each around 13 feet (4.0 m)
high, seven feet (2.1 m) wide, and weighing
around 25 tons, topped by connecting
horizontal lintel stones.
– Purpose: It was a ritual monument for
prehistoric peoples. Little is known about Stonehenge’s function, but many
scholars believe that its structure allowed its builders to predict solstices,
equinoxes, eclipses, and other events of the solar calendar.

2. Roman Colosseum
– Colosseum, largest and most famous ancient
Roman amphitheater. The structure was
originally called Flavian Amphitheater.
Modifications and restorations necessitated by
fires and earthquakes were made to the
Colosseum until the early 6th century.
– In succeeding centuries, the Colosseum
suffered from neglect, earthquakes, and damage done by builders. Still, slightly

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 more than one-third of the outer arcades, comprising a number of the arches on
the north side, remain standing.
– The seating capacity of the Colosseum is believed by modern scholars to have
been about 50,000.
3. The Pyramids of Giza
– The ancient Egyptians built more than 90
royal pyramids, from about 2630BC until
about 1530 BC. During that time, the pyramid
form evolved from a series of stepped
terraces that resembled the layers of a
wedding cake to the better known, sloped
pyramidal shaped. The first pyramid, the
Step Pyramid at Saqqara, was constructed
during the reign of King Djoser (2630 BC-2611 BC).
– The largest pyramid is the one built for King Khufu, at the site of modern Giza.
Khufu’s pyramid, known as the Great Pyramid, is the only one of the Seven
Wonders of the World that still survives.
– Egyptian pyramids served as tombs for king and queens, but they were also places
of ongoing religious activity. After a ruler died, his or her body was carefully treated
and wrapped to preserve it as a mummy. According to ancient Egyptian belief, the
pyramid, where the mummy was placed, provided a place for the monarch to pass
into the afterlife.
4. The Parthenon
– Stands at the very heart of the Acropolis of
Athens, Greece. It was built in honor of the
Goddess of Wisdom, Athena.

The Greek Architecture

Four Orders of Greek Architecture
1. Doric Order
- It is the simplest of the orders, characterized by
short, faceted, heavy columns with plain, round
capitals (tops) and no base. With only four to eight
diameters in height, the columns are the squattest
of all orders. The shaft of the Doric order is
channeled with 20 flutes.

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 2. Ionic Order
- The Ionic order came from eastern Greece, where
its origins are entwined with the similar but little-
known Aeolic order. It is distinguished by slender,
fluted pillars with a large base and two opposed
volutes (also called scrolls) in the echinus of the
capital. The echinus itself is decorate d with
an egg-and-dart motif. The Ionic shaft comes with
four more flutes than the Doric counterpart (totaling
24). The Ionic base has two convex moldings called
tori which are separated by a scotia.

3. Corinthian Order

- Is the most ornate of the Greek orders,

characterized by a slender fluted column having an
ornate capital decorated with acanthus leaves. It is
commonly regarded as the most elegant of the five
orders.

4. Composite Order

- Is a mixed order, combining the volutes of the Ionic

order with the leaves of the Corinthian order.

The architecture designs:

1. Byzantine
- The Golden Age of Byzantine
Architecture was under the rule of
Justinian. It was during the period that the
most famous examples of all Byzantine
Architecture were built, the Hagia Sophia.
The Hagia Sophia was rebuilt from 532 to
537 after the previous church was
destroyed by riots. This church has some
unique features which became the
patterns for Byzantine Architecture for
years after

2. Romanesque
- Romanesque Art and Architecture, arts and
architecture of western Europe from about AD
1000 to the rise of the Gothic style, in most
regions by the latter half of the 12th century, in
certain regions somewhat later

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 3. Gothic
- Gothic Architecture is a style of architecture,
particularly associated with cathedrals and other
churches, which flourished in Europe during the
high and late medieval period. Beginning in
twelfth century France, it was known as “the
French Style” (Opus Francigenum) during the
period, with the term Gothic first appearing in
the Reformation era as a stylistic insult.

4. Baroque
- Baroque churches were larger in scale that
their predecessors and their interiors more
richly decorated with sculpture and
paintings. Long narrow naves are replaced
by broader, occasionally circular forms.
Dramatic use of light, either strong light-and-
shade contrasts, chiaroscuro effects or
uniform lighting by means of several
windows

5. Rococo Style
- Rococo Style, style of 18th-century
painting and decoration
characterized by lightness, delicacy,
and elaborate ornamentation. The
Rococo style is characterized by
pastel colors, gracefully delicate
curving forms, fanciful figures, and a
lighthearted mood (visually and
physically). The essence of Rococo
art is light. Extreme highlights are
placed on the subject matter and the
overall work is light in color, effect, and emotion. Artists paid special attention
to fine detail. Form is characterized by delicacy of color, dynamic
compositions, and atmospheric effects.

III. SCULPTURE
➢ Sculpture is a three-dimensional artwork, an art of producing objects in relief or in the round
out of hard materials by means of chisel, carved work, art of molding in clay or other paste
materials, figures or objects to be later cast in bronze or other metals or plaster of Paris.
➢ Sculpture came from the Latin word “sculpere” means to curve.
➢ It is concerned with the organization of masses and volumes. The art or practice of shaping
figures or designs in the round or relief.

Materials Used in Sculpture

1. Stone
2. Metal
3. Ivory
4. Plaster
5. Clay

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 6. Glass
7. Wood
8. Terracotta

Kinds of Sculpture

1. Relief – these are the sculptures which are identifies as embossed sculptures in which
images are set against a flat background.
a) Alto relievo (Italian for “high relief”) the figures are sculptured partly or wholly in
the round, that is, they project entirely, or almost entirely, from the surface of the
block in which they are cut.
b) Basso-relievo (Italian for low-relief; French, bas-relief) is a form of surface
ornamentation in which the projection is very slight.
2. Free-Standing – this is the kind of sculpture in the round such as statues and
monuments which are either scaled or done in life size.
3. Kinetic or Mobile Sculptures – these are identified as moving sculptures which in
some cases are suspended in air to move.

Techniques Used in Sculpture

1. Carving – Carving is a technique that is used primarily for working with marble and
wood. It is a process that involves removing material by wearing it away and
smoothing it, working from the outside in
2. Casting – Similar to modelling, this technique also requires the use of a mold. The
main difference with casting is that the resulting sculptures are generally made from
combinations of metals.
3. Modeling – Technique that involves giving shape to a soft and pliable material
4. Assembling /Fabrication – Sculptors gather and join different materials to create an
assembled sculpture.

Brief History/Background of Sculpture

1. Pre-Historic Sculpture
– The primitive people produced the so-called fertility statues. It has been described
as giving emphasis on the female sexual attributes. It emphasizes the women’s
wide hips and opulent breasts. Primitive men made this for fear of extinction and it
will remind them to go on and on to produce more offspring.
2. Egyptian Sculpture
– The sphinx is the most popular piece in Egypt. It is a huge sculpture which is
described as the human head with a body of a crouching lion. The head of the
Sphinx is symbolic of the pharaoh, the mighty ruler of Egypt, and the body of the
crouching lion is symbolic of the mighty country Egypt. Therefore, it symbolizes the
mighty strengths and protective power of Egypt.
3. Greek Sculpture
– The Golden Age of Athens was the complete fulfillment of the term classic for it
was the culmination of the ideals of the time and of the ancient world as well
– It falls into four classes:
i. Sculptures created without regard to their ultimate location or method of
display. Free standing.
ii. Statues identified as kore otherwise known as female standing sculpture.
iii. Statues identified as kouros otherwise known a male standing sculpture.
iv. Sculptures designed as ornaments for specific positions.

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 4. Roman Sculpture
–Given the Etruscan descendant of naturalism, Roman portraiture set an early
standard of excellence that became the model for the whole Western tradition. It
falls into two classes: portraits and historical relief. Both reflect the highly
developed Roman taste of realism.
5. Baroque Sculpture
– A restless, dynamic style with its diagonals and floating curved lines, its striking
chiaroscuro, and it’s sensuous textural effects. Gian Lorenzo Bernini was the
Baroque artist par excellence. His known sculpture is the “Ecstasy of St. Therese.”
6. Byzantine Sculpture
– Sculptured relief during the Byzantine was used to adorn magnificent palaces and
churches. It is the richest expression of Christian dogma
7. Renaissance Sculpture
– It showed some traces of classical influence in the pulpits of the Cathedrals of Pisa
and Sienna. The great master of this period is Michael Angelo. His masterpiece
was the “Pieta” today a treasure of St. Peter’s in Rome.

IV. MUSIC
➢ Music is an art of arranging sounds in rhythmic succession generally in combination.
➢ Melody results in this sequence and harmony from the combinations. It is a creative and
performing art.

Groups
1. Vocal Music composed primarily to be sung.
2. Instrumental Music – Is written for instruments of four general types:
a. Keyboard (piano, keyboard, and organ)
b. Stringed (violin, cello, guitar, ukulele, and banjo)
c. Woodwind (flute, clarinet, oboe, piccolo, English horn, and bassoon)
d. Brass winds (saxophone, trumpet, French horn, and trombone)

Music combined with other arts

1. Opera – Drama set to music. It is mostly or entirely sung with an orchestral

accompaniment.
2. Operetta and Musical Comedy – A drama set to music but is light popular romantic
often humorous or comic. It uses spoken dialogues.
3. Oratorio and Cantata – Sacred musical drama in concert form based from biblical
accounts and made of recited parts with orchestral accompaniment.

V. DANCE

Types of Dances
1. Ethnologic
– include folk dancing associated with national and cultural groups.
– It is a kind of dance in which native to specific race or ethnic group.
– The term ethnic is used to distinguish religious dances, and designed as hymns of
praise to a god, or to bring on good fortune in peace and war

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 – They are symbolic in meaning that can’t be understood easily by persons who don’t
belong in a ethnic group.
2. Social or Ballroom Dances
– popular type of dancing generally performed by pairs
– The term 'ballroom dancing' is derived from the word ball which in turn originates
from the Latin word ballare which means 'to dance' (a ball-room being a large room
specially designed for such dances). In times past, ballroom dancing was social
dancing for the privileged, leaving folk dancing for the lower classes
3. Ballet
– a formalized type of dance which originated in the royal courts of the Middle Ages.
They may be either solo or concerted dances and generally built around a theme
or story.
– Type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the
fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and
Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of dance with
its own vocabulary.
4. Modern
– are sometimes called contemporary interpretative dances and represents rebellion
against the classical formalism of ballet. It is a personal communication of moods
and themes.
– Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance which
included dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and
primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries.
– The main characteristic of modern dance is that it encourages dancers to use their
emotions and moods to design their steps, combinations and dances instead of
following a structured code of technique as in the ballet.
5. Musical dances
– dances performed by soloists, groups, choruses in theatres, nightclubs, motion
pictures, and television. It combines various forms of ballet, modern, tap, and
acrobatics
– Musical theatre dancing is less of a particular style, and more of a description of
dancing that is rooted in the diverse history of Broadway musicals. Relying heavily
on a knowledge of ballet, tap, and jazz, musical theater dancers are, first and
foremost, actors and place a high focus on musical interpretation.

VI. THEATRE AND DRAMA

➢ Drama
– A drama or play is a story re-created by actors on a stage in front of an audience.
➢ Theater
– Theater is defined as a building where plays are performed or movies are shown,
or refers to performances of plays, or to a career of performing in plays.
– A building, room, or outdoor structure for the presentation of plays, films, or other
dramatic performances.

Types of Drama
1. Tragedy – serious in nature in which the central character comes to some sad and
disastrous ending and also portray. Murders, deaths, insanity, and pain are among

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 the most common ideas in tragedies. Main characters usually have some kind of
weakness or defect that causes their downfall.
2. Melodrama – the emphasis is on the action rather on the character. Action is a happy
ending.

a. Romantic Comedy
- light amusing tales of lovers in some dilemma which is finally solved
happily
- (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and
slice-of-life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines
centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount
most obstacles.
b. Farce
- light humorous play whose emphasis is on the jokes, humorous
physical actions, ludicrous situations and impossible characters
- Farce is a comedy. Generally, stories considered a farce use physical
humor, miscommunications, absurdity, and preposterous situations to
make you laugh.
c. Comedy of Manners
- “drawing room comedy” is sophisticated and sometimes satirical. It
uses witty dialogues and characters are usually high society types
and situations are unreal.
- A manner is the method in which everyday duties are performed,
conditions of society, or a way of speaking

VII. LITERATURE
➢ the art of combining spoken or written words and their meanings into forms which have
artistic and emotional appeal.

1. Drama – a story re-created by actors on stage in front of an audience.

2. Prose Fiction – includes narratives created by an author as distinguished from true
accounts.
3. Essay – a non-fiction expository writing ranging from informal, personal topics to
closely critical treatments of important subjects.
4. Poetry – highly expressive nature using special forms and choice of words and
emotional images. Narratives includes epics, romance and ballads and lyric forms
includes the sonnets, ode, elegy and song.
5. Miscellaneous – are history, biography, letters, journals, diaries, and other works not
formally classed as literature.