Ars
Latin word meaning “skill,” “craft,” or “technique.” The modern term “art” is derived from
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ars | Latin word meaning “skill,” “craft,” or “technique.” The modern term “art” is derived from |
| Artisan | Skilled craftsperson who creates functional or decorative objects with technical precision and traditional techniques. Historically, artisans have been viewed as having less agency than artists. |
| Renaissance | Time period (approx. 14 th - 17th century CE) and movement rooted in the rediscovery of Greco-Roman culture and the rise of humanism as a key intellectual and cultural movement. |
| Humanism | A philosophical and ethical stance emphasizing the value, agency, and dignity of human beings, prioritizing human reason, creativity, and experience over divine or supernatural considerations. Rooted in the Renaissance, it champions education, critical thinking, and the potential for human progress and self-determination. |
| Kagunan | A Javanese term meaning "use" or "benefit,” tied to spiritual power. Reflecting a holistic approach to creativity, kagunan integrates artistry, utility, and moral purpose, emphasizing the sacred dimensions of artistic practice. Unlike the Latin ars, which historically defined art as skill or technique often detached from everyday life, kagunan situates artistic practice within communal values and spiritual traditions. |
| Empu | Master artisan, highly revered for their expertise and spiritual connection to their craft. Beyond technical skill, empu are considered custodians of sacred knowledge, embodying both artistic and moral authority. |
| When did the idea of an artist arise, when did art history as an idea begin? | Renaisannce |
| What is a keris, and why is it important | A keris is basically an enchanted dagger, they are cerimonial knife things that have use, function, purpose, and a connection to spirtual stuff. Empu's give them their power. |
| What is an empu? | Basically a holy man, they are craftsman with a connection to spirits and imbue power into the things they make. |
| kagunan | A Javanese term meaning "use" or "benefit,” tied to spiritual power. Reflecting a holistic approach to creativity, kagunan integrates artistry, utility, and moral purpose, emphasizing the sacred dimensions of artistic practice. Unlike the Latin ars, which historically defined art as skill or technique |
| Is art history linear | up in the air, history started in lots of places, has had different paths, so lots of things where happening at places simultaneously, or they were completely different. |
| What is art | Depends on the culture, for the west art is a certain idea, but in other places art may not even be the concept for it, it might be objects of ceremonial use or something |
| Like all of history, art has been defined by | the victors |
| Artist v Artisan | The individual genius vs. just another craftperson |
| The reinesance changed art perception in some primary ways | Artists are viewed as individuals doing a special thing, art is for art instead of just god, paganism and older stories get brought in, innovation over old ideas is the main force, and now art history matters. |
| The first western art historian - | Basically a gossip book one guy made about some artists, also followed how their art style changed over time. |
| Kris is art because | its spirtual importance |
| Creation of adam is to thinking about god | Kris is holding the power in your hand |
| In simple terms Kagunan is | art defined by use/benefit/spiritual benefit |
| By what lense do we view art | our own, not that of the culture at the time, or the people of that region, and one must always be aware of this. |
| Regionalism | Regionalism refers to an artistic or cultural focus on the characteristics, traditions, and identities of a specific geographic region, often in contrast to broader national or global narratives |
| Toponym | A toponym is a place name, often derived from geographic, historical, or cultural features associated with a particular location. |
| “Southeast Asia” | Southeast Asia is a region located south of China and east of India, consisting of eleven nation-states, with the term gaining widespread usage after World War II. |
| Stupa | A stupa is a dome-shaped Buddhist monument that enshrines sacred relics and serves as a focal point for meditation and worship. |
| Mosque | A mosque is a place of worship in Islam, designed for communal prayers and gatherings, typically oriented toward Mecca. |
| Borders, boundary lines, religion, all | change over time, menaing you cannot refer to current day borders for anything |
| Belitung Shipwreck | we see portery made in china clearly intended for other countries as it doesn't match chinese ware at the time, inticating trade for sure |
| Ancient Kingdoms | a way of seeing things change pre-colonialism in south east asia |
| Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism | were major religions in southeast asia, resulting in changing religions, diff. archeticture, diff. beliefs, diff. everything |
| Temples in diff. areas mean what | Different temples even for similar religions, becuase environment. Mosque in a desert will be made for desert winds, temp, etc, whereas southeast asia gets a fuck ton of rain, so they have very different structures |
| Different governemtn change srtucture/religions example Indonesians kings: | The kings were Gods, so they wanted big as temples as a show of like pwoer and connection to religion, whereas in east asia this wasn't the case, so their Stupa's were a bit more 'plain' focusing on reflection for example |
| Colonialism did what | So fuckin much, trade and land grabs messed with history and cultural exchange, the 'discovery' mindset, the stealing of artifacts |
| Modern art in these areas are affected by their history example; | Weeping woman of Indonesia, specific story, referenced by modern artist |
| Static images of art - meaning what | Museums are not going to show off some CHinese artists modern art, they will focus on Western artists, meaning the only art we see from non-western places is the mega old stuff |
| Modernism | Movement that resulted from broad transformations in Western society during the mid/late-19th century • Industrial revolutions • Change from agrarian economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacturing |
| Modernization | Process of updating, generally associated with improvement/advancement, leaving behind that which was backward, less efficient/effective |
| Modernity | Experience/condition of being modern • Associated with rational thought, science, industrialization, individualism, urbanization, capital • Different stages of modernity |
| Avant-Garde | Artists and movements that rejected academic traditions through radical techniques and subjects, emphasizing autonomy and independence. |
| Multiple modernities | The idea that modernity is not a singular, universal phenomenon but rather manifests differently across cultures and societies, shaped by unique historical, social, and cultural contexts. |
| Overtime, movements | change and develop into new movments |
| realism | art movement that signaled a break from academic painting realism depicted scenes of peasant and working-class life. Grittiness and naturalism. |
| academic painting | often appeared artificial and removed from real life integral part in formalizing art education and institutionalizing artistic standards. • History paintings • Orientalist art • Mythological scenes • Idealized human form (romanticism) |
| impressionism | sought to create an “impression” of life focusing on things like light and atmosphere. Impressionists painted outdoors |
| Salons | • exhibitions that promoted the work of academically trained artists. • First salons date to late-17th c • privileged certain types of art and became a primary point of resistance for artists that we now recognize as Europe’s first modern artists. |
| Modern Art | • Short, broken brushstrokes • Pure unblended colors • Appears rapidly done • Everyday life Leisure activities Entertainment • New innovations Technology like trains Redesign of urban space (Paris!) • Mixing of social classes • Taboo subjects • Emphasis on innovation and experimentation • Individualism and subjectivity • Rejection of traditional narratives • Rejection of academic traditions Changes in formal qualities (color, line, composition) • Engagement with modernity • Autonomy of art (“art for art’s sake, rather than utility or moral purpose) |
| During the modernist movment, academic artisst were focused on | The old stuff, like myths, roaman decadance, studys (hyperrealistic art) |
| Industrail revolution did to art in the west as --- | Colonialism did to art in the non-west |
| Company Painters | Artists employed by trading companies like the British East India Company from the 18 th century onward with the number and influence of these figures increasing in the 19 th century |
| British East India Company | Joint-stock company chartered in 1600 by Queen Elizabeth I, which played a central role in the colonization of present-day South Asia. |
| British Raj | Referring to the period of direct British colonial rule over the Indian subcontinent from 1858 to 1947, following the dissolution of the British East India Company and marked by governance under the British Crown. |
| What the companies were trading | East India Company • British joint-stock company • 1600 – 1874 Dutch East India Company • Dutch joint-stock company • 1602 - 1799 |
| Colonial Timeline | • Spanish & American Philippines Philippines Spanish Philippines est. 1565 (333 years!) American Philippines est. 1898 • Portuguese Timor East Timor 1707 Indonesia takes control 1975 • Dutch East Indies Indonesia, 1816 • British Singapore, Burma, and Malaysia 1824 • French Indochina Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, 1887 • British Raj India, 1858 |
| Changes from European companies and colonial rule | new roles for artists, new forms of visual culture, new materials, new sites for the study of art |
| Mughal Miniature Paintings | • Realistic portraits with lots of detail • Fine brushwork, jewel-like surfaces • 2d, flat • Degree of abstraction • Blend of Persian, Indian, and later European styles • Scenes of emperors, courts, and hunts • Bright colors with gold highlights and decorated borders • Worked for Mughal emperors (Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan) |
| Rajput Paintings (Princely States) | • Bold, bright colors and flat backgrounds • Stylized, elongated figures (esp. Radha & Krishna) • Focus on romance, devotion, and epics • Less realism, still flat • More focus on nature / environments • Decorative patterns in nature and architecture • Regional court styles (Mewar, Bundi, Kishangarh, etc.) • Worked for local courts • Painters often from hereditary artist families or regional workshops • Made for rulers, temples, and to illustrate stories of gods and epics |
| Company Paintings | • Quick sketch look • Document, less art, knowledge collection • Depth • Less colors, more realism • Focus on structure • Everyday life, landscapes, etc, less religion/stories • Western linear techniques • People, botanical gardens and their floral discoveries, traditional clothes, etc. |
| Indian Realism | A style of art associated with Raja Ravi Varma that blends European academic painting techniques—such as naturalistic shading, perspective, and anatomical accuracy—with Indian mythological, historical, and courtly themes. |
| Mahabharata | Ancient Indian epic, comparable in cultural importance to Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey, that recounts a dynastic war while also exploring mythology, philosophy, and the principles of dharma (righteous living). Composed in Sanskrit between 400 BCE and 400 CE, however, its oral traditions likely go back even earlier |
| Raja Ravi Varma | • B. 1848 • Social position/background: Born into an aristocratic family with connections to the royal family of Travancore. • The title “Raja” was conferred later in life This is a Sanskrit title used to refer to Indian monarchs. • 1873 traveled to Europe • 1894 established the Ravi Varma Press in Bombay • D. 1906 |
| Varma life situtation timeline | • Before 1858: Princely states maintained significant autonomy, with local rulers retaining their titles and privileges while the British established trading posts and economic/political relationships. • 1858: The British Raj was established following a rebellion against British officials linked to the British East India Company. • After 1858: While princely states were not abolished, British control reduced their authority, increasing their subjugation to Westernization and new state structures. • Under the Mughal Empire, preexisting Indian princely courts continued to exist, often integrated into the imperial administration. • As Mughal power declined in the late 17th century, these princely courts gained greater autonomy, asserting more control over their territories. • By the early 19th c. these princely courts, once under the Mughal system, were absorbed by the British colonial structure. |
| Raja Ravi Varma’s early training & patronage | • Raja Ravi Varma first studied under his uncle, a court painter in Trivandrum who was supported by Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal. Maharaja = prince • His earliest works are commissioned portraits for Thirunal. • Worked in the southern tip of India (large region thoug) |
| Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings are like what: | A blend of academic artistry's visual style, but he incorporates Indian stories and ideas, as well as modern ideas. He uses the press to spread art to the people, he humanized the gods and their tales, and he posed political questions through his art. |
| The Ravi Varma Fine Art Lithographic Press | • Est. 1894, Bombay (Mumbai) w/hist brother Raja Raja Varma • Production and mass circulation of prints like this one that depicts Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and good fortune provided access to religious imagery for members of all classes and castes. |
| modernism in the west -> modernism in the non-west -> | away with realism Hell yeah academic art (embracing the new) |
| Traveling to europe did what for many Indian atrtists | It introduced them to European ideas, especially art (cuz they art ppl) and so they came back with academic art styles to play with. |
| What kind of people became the big ol artists during the british raj | Wealthy folks, decendants of princely artists, people who could afford training and going to europe, etc. |
| Academic style vs. Acaemic subject matter | She didn't talk about this, but I think there is a distinction between academic realistic technique and the kinds of things academic chooses to depict with said style, and that and artist can adopt one idea without the other. |