The document provides an overview of Western classical art traditions from prehistoric to Gothic periods. It discusses the objectives and content that will be covered in the online arts module, including analyzing elements and principles of art, identifying characteristics of different periods, and representative artworks. The module aims to cater to both learners with and without internet access during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Write your answer on your notebook and copy important
notes from the module for your review in summative test.
9
Arts
Quarter 1, Wk.1 - Module 1
Western Classical Art Traditions

2. What This Module is About
Welcome to “Western Classical Art Traditions”, an online and offline module in Arts for Grade
9 learners of the Department of Education. This module aims to be as inclusive as possible during this
trying times of the Covid19 pandemic, with series of activities that would cater the needs of learners
who have internet access and smartphones and those who are unable to have access and aid of
technology.
Even before humans learned to read and write, they were already artists as manifested by the
different archeological discoveries from the different parts of the world.
Pre-historic art is classified into three periods such as; Paleolithic (Old Stone Age), Mesolithic
(Middle Stone Age) and Neolithic (New Stone Age) Eras.
Egyptian Civilization was one of the early civilizations that greatly contributed in the
development of art, religion, science and technology of the world. Egyptian art is said to be religious
in nature.
Ancient Greek art depicts naturalism. They portray human forms in a realistic and anatomically
precise manner. Their art has conservative form with a very complex detail.
Roman art developed as a new source of artistic creativity and more progressive than that of
conservative Greek art. The diverse form and variety of the Romans inspired the modern attitude in
art.
Byzantine art was purposely made to glorify the Christian Religion and to express its mystery.
It is filled with spiritual symbolism and illustrates a love of splendor. It was a combination of Eastern
(decorative art forms) and classical Western art (naturalistic art).
Romanesque art was characterized by its vigorous style in painting and sculpture, lavishly
decorated manuscripts and retained many basic features of Roman architectural styles. It was also
greatly influenced by Byzantine art with a highly innovative and coherent style.
The basic characteristics of Gothic art styles reinforce symbolic meanings. The church
symbolizes the transcendence of the soul and the underlying philosophy is to create buildings of height
and light.
Different eras, different styles, characteristics and functions of arts occurred but all of those
contributed in the development and established the importance of arts in our lives today.
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this module, the learners are expected to:
➢ Analyze art elements and principles in the production of work following the style of a western
and classical art.
➢ Identify distinct characteristics of arts during the different art periods.
➢ Identify representative artworks and artists from various art periods.
What I Know
PRE-TEST
To assess what you know about the musical elements during the Medieval, Renaissance and
Baroque Periods, answer the following activities.
PART I. IDENTIFICATION.
Direction: Write the period being described in the statements below.
______________ 1. Paintings in this period were found in vases, panels and
tombs which depicted natural figures with dynamic compositions.
______________ 2. Paintings influenced by Greek and Rome but this time with
Christian subjects.
______________ 3. The purpose of their paintings is to make the deceased

3. afterlife place pleasant.
______________ 4. Largely placed mosaics on the walls of the churches with
traces of Mozarabic influences.
______________ 5. Paintings were found inside the caves and believed to be
their way of communicating with each other.
PART II. MULTIPLE CHOICE.
Direction: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.
1. Most sculptures in this period are made of monumental terra-cotta with continuous narrative reliefs
around.
A. Pre-historic B. Egyptian
C. Greek D. Roman
2. Dominant themes of their sculptures were religious, everyday life scenes and motifs from nature.
A. Byzantine B. Romanesque
C. Gothic D. Egyptian
3. Early sculptures were tensed and stiff, their bodies were hidden within enfolding robes but
eventually evolved and showed all points of human anatomy and proportion.
A. Gothic B. Egyptian
C. Greek D. Romanesque
4. Sculptures have a greater freedom of style and subjects begun to project outward giving a more
lively and realistic effects.
A. Byzantine B. Romanesque
C. Gothic D. Pre-historic
5. Common materials used in their sculptures were wood, ivory and stones and showed symbolic
elements such as forms, hieroglyphics, color, actions and gestures.
A. Pre-historic B. Egyptian C. Greek D. Byzantine
What I Need to Know
OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to;
➢ Analyze art elements and principles in the production of work following the style of a western
and classical art.
➢ Identify distinct characteristics of arts during the different art periods.
➢ Identify representative artworks and artists from various art periods.
What’s New
ACTIVITY 1. “JUMBLED BEE”
Direction: There are seven (7) Principles of Arts and Design. Unscramble the letters to form the
element using the clues below:
NUMBER: JUMBLED LETTERS: CLUES OR DEFINITION:
1. L E A N C B A
Comfortable arrangement of things in art or
maybe symmetry.
2. T A C R T S O N
Difference between elements in the artwork.
3. S M E H I A P S Creation of a focal area in a work of art.

4. 4. M V E N O T E M How we get around in a work of art.
5. A T R T E N P
Decorates surfaces with planned and
repeated units.
6. M H Y T H R Repetition of shapes, lines and forms.
7. T U I N Y
Means that all is in harmony and variety
adds interest.
PRE-HISTORIC ERA
Paintings were found inside the caves and believed to be their way of communicating each
other. It may also be for religious or for ceremonial purposes and more of an artefact of the
archaeological evidence than a true picture of human’s first created art. Pre-historic drawing showed
animals that were usually correct in proportion.
Sculptures were believed to be a product or result of natural erosion and not of human artistry
according to archaeologists. Materials used in sculptures vary according to region and locality while
carving may have mythological or religious significance.
Architectures from the early age developed a form based on Megaliths (a big rock) from the
Greek word lithos (stone) and megas (big). Although these structures that survived from prehistory
might not be what we would normally think of as architecture, but these buildings still inspire awe
today, through the mysteries of their meaning, the intricacy or scale of their design, or the ingenuity
of their construction.
PROCESS QUESTIONS:
1. How does the representative artworks of each period differ from each other in terms of elements
and principles of arts and design? In paintings? Sculptures? And architecture? Explain briefly.
__________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
2. How were you able to identify the periods? Which of the characteristics did you find more evident
on the sample photos in the activity? Give examples.
__________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
3. Which period did you find more interesting in terms of paintings? How about sculptures? And
architecture? Explain briefly.
__________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
ACTIVITY 3. “FILL IN THE BOX”
Instructions: To know how much you have learned from the discussion, fill in the box with the
characteristics and functions that would best describe the artworks in every period or era. Complete
the table and follow the format below. (Note: make a separate table for Paintings, Sculptures and
Architecture)

5. Architectures from this period included two new devices such as pointed arch which enabled
builders to construct much higher ceiling vaults and stone vaulting hauled on a network of stone ribs
which were supported by piers and clustered pillars. These elements together formed a structurally
and aesthetically integrated system or style which made the primary engineering innovation and
design component of Gothic architecture.
ACTIVITY 2. “GUESS THAT TRIPLE THREAT!!”
Instructions: Given the descriptions and characteristics of artworks from the different periods on
“What Is It”, analyse and identify which period does the three photos represent and briefly answer
the questions below.
ANCIENT EGYPT
Paintings were believed to make the deceased life place pleasant giving importance of life
after death and the preservation of the knowledge of the past. Most paintings were stylized, symbolic
and shows profile view of an animal or a person with themes that included the journey of the deceased
PERIOD / ERA CHARACTERISTICS FUNCTIONS
ANCIENT ART:
Pre-Historic
Egyptian
CLASSICAL ART:
Greek
Roman

6. gods to the underworld. The main colours used in this period were red, black, blue, gold and green
derived from mineral pigments that can withstand strong sunlight without fading.
Sculptures were believed to have symbolic elements such as forms, hieroglyphics, relative
size, location, materials, colour, actions and gestures were widely used. Their tombs required the most
extensive use of sculpture. Characteristics includes; symbolism to represent the gods where
composite creature with animal heads on human body, relief compositions were arranged in
horizontal lines to record an event or represent an action, most of the time the gods were shown
larger than humans. The kings are larger than the followers and the dead larger than the living, empty
spaces were filled with figures or hieroglyphics and all individual components were all brought to the
plane of representation and laid out like writing.
Architectures were developed during the pre-dynastic period of 4,000 BC. Characteristics of Egyptian
Architecture includes; thick sloping walls with few openings to obtain stability, exterior and interior
walls along with the columns and piers were covered with hieroglyphics and pictorial frescoes with
carvings painted in brilliant colours, ornamentations were symbolic like scarab (sacred beetle), solar
disk, vulture and common motifs such as palm leaves, buds, lotus flower and papyrus plants and
temples were aligned with astronomically significant events with precise measurements like solstices
(sun appears to stand still on the first day of winter) and equinox (a time or date when day and night
are of equal length).
CLASSICAL GREEK
Paintings during this period were most commonly found in vases, panels and tomb. They
depict natural figures with dynamic compositions and reveal a grasp of linear perspective and
naturalistic representation. Most of the subjects were battle scenes, mythological figures and
everyday scenes. Most common methods of Greek painting are Fresco or water based painting and
Encaustic or wax based painting.
Sculptures were tensed and stiff and their bodies were hidden within enfolding robes or
draping during the early times but it had finally evolved and showed all the points of human anatomy
and proportion after three centuries of experiments.
Architectures showed temples consisting of a central shrine or room in an aisle surrounded
by rows and columns. These buildings were designed in one of three architectural style or orders;
Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.
ROMAN ERA
Paintings were mostly copied or imitated from Hellenic Greek paintings. Fresco technique was
used in brightly coloured backgrounds, division of the wall into a multiple rectangular areas (tic-tac-
toe design) and multi-point perspective as well as a tropme-l’-oeil effect. Roman painting have a wide
variety of subjects including animals, everyday life, still life, mythological subjects, portraits and
landscapes (main innovation of Roman painting from Greek painting).
Sculptures were made of monumental terra-cotta. They did not attempt to compete with the
free standing Greek works of history and mythology but rather produced reliefs in the Great Roman
triumphal columns with continuous narrative reliefs around.
Architectures from this era were sturdy stone structures both for use and to perpetuate their
glory. The emperors erected huge halls and arenas for public games, baths and procession with
gigantic arches of stones, bricks and concrete or with barrel vaults.
BYZANTINE PERIOD

7. Paintings were lively styles which had been invented in Greek and Rome but this time for
Christian subjects. By the 11th
century, the Greek and Oriental styles seem to blend together in
splendid, imposing images which ornamented the churches in large and small forms.
Sculptures were religious, everyday life scenes and motifs from nature. Animals were used as symbols
such as doves, deer, and peafowl while some had acrostic signs that contained a great theological
intent or significance.
Architectures from this period had a lot in common with the early Christian architecture
where mosaic decoration was perfected as was the use of
clerestory to bring light in from high windows. Byzantine’s advancement in developing the dome
created a new style in global architecture.
ROMANESQUE ERA
Paintings have remarkable variety of artistic traditions where largely placed mosaics on the
walls of the churches that follow a strict frontal pose with modelling and treatment of faces that follow
Byzantine convention while the refreshingly decorative feeling came from southern French styles. It
showed Mozarabic influence (Arabize influence) through elongated oval faces, large staring and fierce
eyes, long noses and figures against flat coloured bands with heavy outlining.
Sculptures were pieces of reliquaries, altar frontals, crucifixes and devotional images. Small
individual works of art were generally made of costly materials for royal and aristocratic patrons.
Lightweight devotional images were usually carried during processions both inside and outside the
churches.
Architectures from this period showed doorways of Romanesque churches that were often
grand sculpted portals or door openings. Wood or metal doors were surrounded by elaborate stone
sculptures arranged in zones to fit architectural elements. Many castles were built during this period
but were greatly outnumbered by the churches. Romanesque style in England was traditionally
referred to as Norman architecture.
GOTHIC ERA
Paintings have been confined in the illumination of manuscript pages and the paintings of
frescoes on the walls of the churches were of cosmopolitan style in elegant and sophisticated manner.
Subjects of their paintings usually depict popular legends and love stories with patterns like mille fleur
or thousand flowers showed influence which may have been due to the Crusades. Stained glass
windows were created to transform the vast stone interiors with warm colours to instruct Christian in
their faith.
Sculptures had a greater freedom of style. They no longer lay closely against the wall but
begun to project outward. Figures were given their own particular attitudes instead of being set into
particular patterns but were more lively and realistic at the same time.