ART APPRECIATION

Table of Contents
UNIT 2: Western Art History
Lesson 7: Art in Early Civilizations
Lesson 8: Art of Emerging Europe
Lesson 9: Caught in Between:
Modern and Contemporary Art
 Lesson 7:
Art in Early Civilizations
LESSON OUTCOME
By the end of this lesson, the students should be
able to:
1. Discuss how art was used by prehistoric
people to depict everyday life;
2. Identify the central themes of prehistoric art;
3. Differentiate the techniques used during the
three kingdoms of early Egypt; and
4. Explain how art is linked with religion in early
Egyptian civilization.
LESSON PROPER
• Stone Age is a term used to describe a period of history when stones were
used to make tools for survival.
• The unearthing of archeological artifacts and remains provides modern
society a glimpse of the beliefs, practices, and activities of early
civilizations.
Pre-Historic Art
• Archeological explorations reveal that there has been a gradual shift from
a nomadic lifestyle of early humans to that of permanent settlements,
paving the way for the rise of early civilizations.
• Paleolithic Art is a product of climate change.
• Artworks can be considered ornamental but there is little evidence to fully
back up this notion, that early humans created these cave paintings for
that very purpose.
• Neolithic art has developed especially when life for the early humans has
become more stable.
Egyptian Art:
• The Egyptian civilization can be divided into three periods:
Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Looking at the three
periods, it can be noticed that for the Egyptians, art should
be something religious and spiritual.
• During the Old Kingdom, it was evident that religion was
bound to the afterlife.
• One of the key features of the Middle Kingdom is a shift in
the political hierarchy. There is an emergence of powerful
groups of landlords that threatened the authority and rule
of the pharaoh. Because of the internal struggle between
these two influential sides, art has taken a back seat during
the Middle Kingdom. In order for art to reemerge and
flourish, Egypt needed to have a more stable situation.
• The art of the New Kingdom had references
from both of the preceding kingdoms.
Monuments and sculptures were still linked
with death and reverence for the deceased.
• After the New Kingdom, Egypt witnessed the
Amarna Revolution led by King Akhenaton and
Queen Nefertiti.
DISCUSSION POINTS
• What was the importance and
significance of art during the prehistoric
period?
• During the early Egyptian civilization, in
what ways were art and religion
interconnected?
PROCESSING QUESTIONS
• How can the artworks from the past help
people in present times understand the
context of those in the past?
• In what ways can there be a merging of
art and religion?
ANSWER KEY
1. What was the importance and significance of
art during the prehistoric period?
2. During the early Egyptian civilization, in what
ways were art and religion interconnected?
LESSON SUMMARY
During the prehistoric period, the early
humans had transitioned from a nomadic
lifestyle to that of a more permanent one,
which led to early civilizations.
 Lesson 8:
Art of Emerging Europe
LESSON OUTCOME
By the end this session, the students should be
able to:
1. Identify the major periods in Western art
history;
2. Compare and contrast the artworks produced
during the different time periods and art
movements; and
3. Discuss the importance of art to the
development of Western culture.
LESSON PROPER
Ancient Greece:
• The development of Greek art can be divided into four
periods: Geometric, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic.
• The Geometric Period was when geometric shapes and
patterns have taken the spotlight in most of the artworks.
The Archaic Period, on the other hand, placed importance
on human figures. This was primarily a result of Greece’s
trading activities with other civilizations. The peak of
Greek sculpture and architecture was during the Classical
Period. The time of Alexander the Great was called the
Hellenistic Period. During this time, art was primarily
focused on showcasing emotions and depicting reality.
Ancient Rome:
• The Romans were fond of the Greeks and
their achievements in the arts. The
fusion of Greek and Roman cultures can
be seen in most Roman artworks.
Middle Ages:
• Since the Church was the most important
figure, the most important products of
the early Middle Ages would have to be
copies of the Christian scriptures.
Renaissance Art:
• During the Renaissance Period, artists valued the
“individual” as a subject of arts. The influence of
humanism shifted the focus of some artworks during
the Renaissance Period to empower the “individual.”
Most artworks emphasized naturalism, which was
also an influence of humanism since there was a great
emphasis on the proportionality of the human body.
Mannerism:
• Mannerism was a period in art history, which was a
product of the Renaissance Period. During the
Renaissance, artists would observe nature and try
their best to emulate it based on their observations
Baroque and Rococo:
• The term “baroque” is derived from the Portuguese
term barocco which is translated as “irregularly
shaped pearl.” This is a suitable description that Rome
was the birthplace of the Baroque Period, which
according to some historians was a response to
Protestantism.
Neoclassicism:
• Neoclassicism was a movement in Europe that
transpired during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
It was the dominant art movement that time which
basically aimed to revive and rekindle the influences
of Greek and Roman into art and architecture.
Romanticism:
• Romanticism, as an art movement, used the
central themes of Neoclassicist artworks as a
springboard. Romanticists have highlighted
heroic elements into their work.
Realism:
• Realism as a style of work focuses on the
accuracy of details that depicts and somehow
mirrors reality.
• Realism as a modern movement in art veered
away from traditional forms of art.
Impressionism:
• The Impressionism movement started in France,
which led to a break from the tradition in
European painting. Impressionism is a style of
painting that emerged in the mid- to late 1800s.
Impressionist artists incorporated scientific
principles to achieve a more distinct
representation of color.
Post-Impressionism:
• It is an art movement that emerged in France,
which is a result of both the influence and
rejection of Impressionism.
Neo-Impressionism:
• As an art movement, neo-impressionism is considered
as a response to empirical realism of impressionism.
Most painters who subscribe to such movement rely on
a systematic and scientific techniques that have a
predetermined visual effects not only on the artwork
itself but also how the audience perceive the art.
Art Nouveau:
• Between 1890 and 1910, countries from Europe and the
United States witnessed the emergence and flourishing
of a new art style. This ornamental style of art was a
break from the conservative historicism, which was the
prevailing and dominant theme of most Western
artworks.
Fauvism:
• This is a style of painting that emerged in France around the turn of the
20th century. What makes fauvists revolutionary is that they used pure
and vibrant colors by applying straight from the paint tubes directly to
the canvas.
Cubism:
• Between 1907 and 1914, French artists Pablo Picasso and Georges
Braque introduced a new visual arts style called cubism. This style
would later on have a huge influence on artists during the 20 th century.
Cubists highlighted the two- dimensional surface of the picture plane.
Futurism:
• It is an early 20th century art movement that started in Italy, which
highlighted the speed, energy, dynamism, and power of machines. In
addition, common themes for works in this movement are restlessness
and the fast-pace of modern life.
DISCUSSION POINTS
• In what ways are Greek and Roman art
works similar? Different?
• Why is mannerism art considered an
offshoot of Renaissance art?
• Why is Neoclassicism considered a
response or reaction to the Baroque
period?
.
PROCESSING QUESTIONS
• How has art changed throughout
history?
• What do you think are the reasons why
art has evolved and changed throughout
time?
ANSWER KEY
1. Compare and contrast Greek and Roman
artworks.
2. Discuss how Mannerism art became an
offshoot of works from the Renaissance.
3. Explain why Neoclassicism served as a
response or reaction to the Baroque Period.
LESSON SUMMARY
• Throughout history, Europe has seen
tremendous changes in its political landscape
and social makeup, and witnessed transitions
of different art movements on different
timeframes.
• The use of art as a medium of communication
of different cultural elements originated from
the Greek and Roman civilizations.
 Lesson 9:
Caught in Between:
Modern and Contemporary Art
LESSON OUTCOME
By the end of the session, the students should be
able to:
1. Differentiate modern art and contemporary art;
2. Show the interrelation of modern art and
contemporary art;
3. Isolate and discuss significant historical events
that informed and inspired the different movements
under contemporary art; and
4. classify specific artworks into the different
movements under contemporary art.
LESSON PROPER
Defining Contemporary:
• The complexity of defining the term is attributed to the fact that
people have dissenting views on the interpretation of the
“present,” of “today,” or what the “now” means— these are often
ideas that follow the word contemporary. Even more so, is when
it is hinged on the word “art” and suddenly it becomes a bit fuzzy.
• Another source of confusion is the fact that in the colloquial,
“modern” and “contemporary” are considered synonymous.
• Modern art saw the digression of artists away from past
conventions and traditions and toward freedom. There is the
famous adage of “anything goes.” With the world becoming
increasingly complex, it required an art that could accommodate
such range and breadth.
Contemporary Art:
• Contemporary art was heavily driven by ideas and
theories, and even the blurring of notions of what is and
can be considered as “art”.
• Reeling after the war, one of the early movements was
abstract expressionism (early 1940s to mid-1960s) which
took the basic tenets of abstraction and combined with
it with gestural techniques, mark-making, and a rugged
spontaneity in its visual articulation.
• Creating energy was at the center of "op art" or optical
art (early 1960s onward), which relied on creating an
illusion to inform the experience of the artwork using
color, pattern, and other perspective tricks that artists
had on their sleeves.
Contemporary Art:
• The quest for actual movement in the works created
were responded to by kinetic art (early 1950s
onward). Harnessing the current and direction of the
wind, components of the artwork which was
predominantly sculptural, most were mobiles and
even motor-driven machines, was an example of how
art and technology can be brought together.
• Minimalism cropped up in the early 1960s in New
York, and saw artists testing the boundaries of various
media. It was seen as an extreme type of abstraction
that favored geometric shapes, color fields, and the
use of objects and materials that had an “industrial”
sparse.
Contemporary Art:
• Pop art first emerged in the 1950s but found
its footing in the 1960s. It drew inspiration,
sources, and even materials from commercial
culture, making it one of the most identifiable
and relatable movements in art history.
• But perhaps the most pertinent movement
that solidified the move to contemporary art
was postmodernism. By the very name, it was
a nudge to formalize the critique toward
modernism and its claim over art for the
better of the 20th century.
Photorealism:
• The resurgence of figurative art, where
realistic depictions is a choice, is a proof how
varied and fragmented postmodernism is. In
photorealism, a painstaking attention to detail
is aimed, without asserting an artist’s personal
style.
Conceptualism:
• As opposed to celebrating commodities as
references to real life, conceptualism fought
against the idea that art is a commodity.
DISCUSSION POINTS
• Why is it difficult to have a single
definition of contemporary art?
• Is contemporary art synonymous with
modern art?
PROCESSING QUESTIONS
• What do you think are the most important
contributions of contemporary art as a period
and the numerous movements under it in the
lives of men today?
• Out of all the movements mentioned and
discussed, what do you think are no longer
relevant nowadays?
ANSWER KEY
1. What do you think are the most important
contributions of contemporary art as a period
and the numerous movements under it in the
lives of men today?
Answers may vary.
2. Out of all the movements mentioned and
discussed, what do you think are no longer
relevant nowadays?
Answers may vary.
LESSON SUMMARY
The 21st century is steeped in promise and
excitement. Although some of the
movements discussed may have waned or
are no longer being practiced, new artists
with their own creative imagination and
ways of producing art are changing the
landscape once again.