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• Historical Approach relates to Art Appreciation

Framework of Analysis

• Hippolyte Taine developed a framework for art analysis that considers the context and creation of art.
• Taine's approach provides insights into the interplay between an artwork, its creator, and the broader cultural landscape.
• This framework factors in the impact of class, practices, and other elements influencing experiences.

General Principles

• The evaluation focuses on the context rather than the art piece itself.
• Context encompasses the history and politics behind the piece, formalist traditions or conventions, and the creator's personal or professional background.

Zeitgeist

• Zeitgeist refers to the spirit of a certain period that shapes cultural production.
• Translated as "spirit of the age," Zeitgeist reflects the intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of a specific era.
• Zeitgeist aids in understanding motivations, influences, and meanings behind art.
• Symbols and motifs in art often hold specific meanings within a particular historical period.
• Understanding the zeitgeist helps decipher those elements.

Framework of Analysis: RACE

• Race refers to the inherited physical and mental characteristics of a group.
• Often called "culture" to acknowledge the complex and diverse nature of human identity.
• Examples include ethnicity, philosophy, and cultural heritage.

Framework of Analysis: MILIEU

• Milieu is the social environment or context in which art is created.
• Themes, symbols, and techniques used in the artwork are included.
• Pop Art movement, mass media, and socioeconomic changes are an example.

Framework of Analysis: MOMENT

• Moment is the specific historical and cultural period in which art is produced.
• It reflects the time's prevailing ideas, trends, and events.
• Post-World War era, themes of labor, collective identity, and consumerism - is an example.

Race Defined

• Race encompasses the inherited traits and feelings affecting art creation.
• Taine suggested that shared cultural traits influence individuals, impacting their artistic choices, even unconsciously.

Milieu Defined

• Milieu denotes the specific circumstances and environments modifying an artist's inherited dispositions.
• Social, political, and economic factors influence the themes and techniques employed by an artist.
• Milieu allows for contextualizing artwork within societal norms and values, revealing deeper meanings and motivations.

Moment Defined

• Moment constitutes historical and cultural forces that influence an artist's work.
• Artist's own life experiences, along with common traditions and ideas from their time, contribute to the "moment."

Questions to Ask When Using Historical Analysis

• When was the piece created?
• What was the world like when the piece was created?
• Who created the piece for what reasons?
• How does the piece reflect culture, history, and place?

The Pintados

• During Spanish colonization, tattooing practices faced suppression in the Philippines.
• The Spanish viewed these practices as pagan and barbaric.
• Tattoos are markers of identity and connection to ancestral spirits, and rituals often accompany the tattooing process to honor and bless.
• These tattoos gained popularity among the Filipino diaspora and proudly showcase cultural heritage.
• Rich history of tattoos has reflected ethnic identity.
• Tattoos served as symbols of bravery, status, and cultural identity among various indigenous groups, showcasing their unique heritage.
• Tattoos were influenced by their societal structure, where tattoos were markers of identity and accomplishment.
• The milieu included tribal warfare, social hierarchy, and the community's beliefs about tattoos as protective symbols or marks of beauty.
• The Spanish stigmatized the practice as colonial authorities and sought to impose European cultural norms.
• This led to a decline in traditional tattooing practices during this time.

The "Sisig" Dish

• Sisig first appeared in a Kapampangan dictionary in 1732, originating from the old Tagalog word "sisigan" which means "to make it sour", as a name for a green side salad
• Lucia Cunanan, the inventor of the modern-day sisig, opened Aling Lucing's restaurant in Angeles City in 1976, which included meaty pig cheeks.
• In the 1960s-1970s, US air bases in Pampanga would throw out whole pigs' heads, and locals offered to buy the offal, mixing it into sour salad, and beginning its evolution.
• Benedicto Pamintuan first served sisig on a sizzling plate at his restaurant between 1970 and 1980. Dan Tayag brought it to Manila via his restaurant, Trellis.
• Angeles City began its annual Sisig Festival, with representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records in 2003.
• Anthony Bourdain, popular TV host, ate Sisig, as seen in Pampanga on Bourdain's show 'No Reservations' in 2009.
• The dish became mainstream.
• Restaurant Maharlika in New York put sisig on the menu, winning the "Best New Food" award from Time Out New York in 2011.
• The dish reflects the diverse influences of various ethnic groups, including indigenous, Spanish, and American elements.
• Its preparation speaks to Filipino practices of utilizing every part of the animal, showcasing resourcefulness and respect for ingredients.
• Filipinos are forced to be resourceful due to the fact that odd pig parts are discarded.
• This forces Filipinos to create a dish out of pig parts that the Americans did not want, in order to survive.
• Innovative Filipinos started to use discarded pig parts during the American Colonial rule thrown away by the Americans.

Questions

• How does knowing the history behind an artwork change how we see its value, and can focusing too much on history sometimes make us miss the art's true beauty?
• What value can we get from understanding art by looking at the history when and how it was made?