LECTURE 8
Art and Mathematics:
Aesthetic Formalism
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
OBJECTIVES
a. Relate the study of art to the field of mathematics.
b. Identify artworks, styles, artists and philosophers
that abide with the formalist theory.
c. Interpret aesthetic formalism as a mathematical
theory of art and beauty
d. Show that music has a mathematical structure.
e. Formulate a mathematical approach to Art
Appreciation.
f. Evaluate the merit or demerit of works of art
based on the formalist theory.
g. Make works of art that shows the application of
formalist theory.
h. Apply formalist theory in analyzing classical
DR.arts.
ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
READINGS
8.1. Panofsky, Erwin (1955). “The History of the Theory of
Human Proportion as a Reflection of the History of
Styles,” in Meaning in the Visual Arts. Australia:
Penguin Books, 1955. pp. 117-134.
8.2. “Vitruvian Man,” in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Vitruvian_Man.
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
VIDEOS
8.1. “Donald Duck and the Golden Mean Ratio,” in
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query
=golden+ratio+donald+duck.
8.2. “Music and Math: The Genius of Beethoven-
Natalya St. Claire,” in https:// www.youtube.
com/watch?v=zAxT0mRGuoY
8.3. “How to Draw the Human Face,” in https://
www.you tube.com/watch? v=pE2-CGTtQzc.
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
LECTURES
8.1. Art and Beauty: Aesthetic Formalism
8.2. Harmony of Proportion: Mathematical
Theory of Art
8.3. Mathematics of Art: The Golden
Measure
8.4. Mathematical Structure of Music
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
LECTURE 8.1
Aesthetic Formalism
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
THOMAS
AQUINAS
1225-1274
AESTHETIC
FORMALISM
ARISTOTLE
384-322 BC
Raphael, The School of Athens, 1511
Raphael,
The School
of Athens
(Detail)
Leonardo
as Plato
Michelangelo
as Aristotle
Crevelli,
Thomas Aquinas
from Domidoff
Altarpiece
1476
TITLE
Doctor Angelicus
BOOK
Summa Theologica
Basis of Catholic
Doctrines
THEORETICAL BASIS OF
AESTHETIC FORMALISM
HYLOMORPHISM
Ultimate Composition of All Things
FORM MATTER
substance accidents
(chairness) (blue, wooden)
ESSENCE SENSE DATA
HYLOMORPHISM
Prime
Matter + Substantial
Form
=
THING
THE FORM OF BEAUTY
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
Order and Structure
SPECIFIC PRINCIPLES
Proportion and Integrity
INDIVIDUAL PRINCIPLE
Simplicity
ORDER STRUCTURE
Whole divided into parts Parts composing the whole
Part Part Part
Whole 1 2 3
Part Part Part Whole
1 2 3
No order and no structure
UGLY
With order but no structure
UGLY
Dali
Galatea of
the Spheres
1952
WITH ORDER BUT
NO STRUCTURE
Dali was
influenced by
the Molecular
Theory in
Chemistry.
Without order but with structure
UGLY
Picasso
Bust of a
Woman
with a Hat
1939
With order and with structure
BEAUTIFUL
Matisse
Portrait of
Madame
Matisse
1905
PROPER PROPORTION
Relation of parts with one another
Proportional Disproportional
BEAUTIFUL UGLY
DISPROPORTIONAL PROPORTIONAL
Leonardo, Scaramuccia Picture of Tom Cruise
OVERALL INTERGRITY
Relation of whole with itself
Integral Disintegral
BEAUTIFUL UGLY
DISINTEGRAL
SIMPLICITY
Less number of parts
Less number of connection
A B
SIMPLICITY
Less number of parts
Less number of connections
B C
SIMPLICITY
Less number of parts
Less number of connections
C D E F
GOD
Absolutely simple being
Bernini,
Pure spirit without any parts Ecstasy of
Essence identical with existence St. Therese
(Detail), 1452
ABSOLUTELY AND
PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL
LECTURE 8.2
Harmony of Proportion
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
“Beauty is the harmony of proper proportion.”
1 2 3 4
Proportional Disproportional Proportional Disproportional
BEAUTIFUL UGLY BEAUTIFUL UGLY
Megan Young
Miss World
Philippines
2013
BEAUTIFUL FEMALE BODY
Vital Statistics: 36-24-36
Height: 5 ft. 10 in.
36-24-36 36-24-36 36-24-36
5 feet 8 inches 7 feet 4 inches 4 feet 6 inches
PROPORTIONAL DISPROPORTIONAL DISPROPORTIONAL
BEUTIFUL UGLY UGLY
Leonardo
Vitruvian Man
1490
A Study on the
Canons of Human
Proportion According
to Vitruvius
VITRUVIAN
MAN AND
HUMAN
NATURE
CIRCLE
SPIRITUAL
NAVEL AS
CENTER
OF CIRCLE
ZEN PAINTING
Circle
The circle in
this painting
represents the
spiritual nature
of the world,
its infinite
and eternal
dimension
Kandinsky
Several Circles
1926
He believes that
his composition
expresses the
spiritual quality
of art
SQUARE
MATERIAL
GENITAL AS
CENTER OF
SQUARE
El Greco
Christ
Carrying
the Cross
1578
SQUARE HALO
It means that
Jesus is on earth,
the material world.
Malevich
Red Square
1915
STYLE
Suprematism
CIRCLE
SQUARE
ARCH
El Greco
The Burial of
Count Orgaz
1586
HEAVEN
Spiritual
World
EARTH
Material
World
Minor Basilica
of St. Michael the
Archangel, Tayabas
Quezon, 1894
STYLE
Baroque
Architecture
Manila
Cathedral
Intramuros
Manila
1581
PRESENT
STRUCTURE
1958
ARCHITECT
Fernando Ocampo
STYLE
Romanesque
Architecture
Conversion of
St. Paul Parish
Church, Pitogo
Quezon, 1817
STYLE
Baroque
Architecture
San Sebastian
Church, Quiapo
Manila, 1891
ARCHITECT
Genaro Palacios
STYLE
Gothic Architecture
TRIANGLE
MYSTICAL
ABDOMEN AS
CENTER OF
TRIANGLE
MYSTERY OF HOLY TRINITY
TRESPICO
MEDALLION
The Infinito Dios
and the Tres
Personas
Amulet (Agimat)
from Quiapo,
MAnila
Great Pyramids of Giza, 2,500 BC, Egypt
PENTAGRAM
Five Sided Star
SUPER
NATURAL
XIPHOID AS
CENTER OF
PENTAGRAM
Greek xiphos
means sword
LOGO OF SUPERMAN
The Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia, USA
MAN
Spiritual
Material
Mystical
Supernatural
Arche
“MAN is the
measure of
all things.”
PROTAGORAS,
453-360, Crete
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man was based on
the book by MARCUS VITRUVIUS entitled
De Architectura, 15 BC.
PERFECT PROPORTION
OF MAN ACCORDING
TO VITRUVIUS
• The length of the outspread arms is equal to the height of a man
• From the hairline to the bottom of the chin is one-tenth of the height of a man
• From below the chin to the top of the head is one-eighth of the height of a man
• From above the chest to the top of the head is one-sixth of the height of a man
• From above the chest to the hairline is one-seventh of the height of a man.
• The maximum width of the shoulders is a quarter of the height of a man.
• From the breasts to the top of the head is a quarter of the height of a man.
• The distance from the elbow to the tip of the hand is a quarter of man’s height
• The distance from the elbow to the armpit is one-eighth of the height of a man.
• The length of the hand is one-tenth of the height of a man.
• The root of the penis is at half the height of a man.
• The foot is one-seventh of the height of a man.
• From below the foot to below the knee is a quarter of the height of a man.
• From below the knee to the root of the penis is a quarter of man’s height
• The distances from below the chin to the nose and the eyebrows and the
hairline are equal to the ears and to one-third of the face.
NUMERICAL
PROPORTION
OF THE
VITRUVIAN
MAN
NUMERICAL
PROPORTION
OF THE
VITRUVIAN
1 MAN
2
3
4
Height of 4 Fingers = 1 Palm
NUMERICAL
PROPORTION
OF THE
1 VITRUVIAN
2 MAN
3
4
Height of the Head = 4 Palms
1 NUMERICAL
PROPORTION
2 OF THE
VITRUVIAN
3 MAN
4
Height of
the Man
5
=
8 head
6
8
NUMERICAL
PROPORTION
OF THE
VITRUVIAN
MAN
Middle of
the Height
is at
Root of
the Penis
NUMERICAL
PROPORTION
OF THE
VITRUVIAN
MAN
Width of
the Shoulder
=
Quarter of
the Height
NUMERICAL
PROPORTION
OF THE
VITRUVIAN
MAN
Lenght of
the Foot
=
One Seventh
of the Height
Height of
the Man
=
Length of
Outspread
Arms
1
NUMERICAL
2 PROPORTION
OF THE
3 VITRUVIAN
MAN
4
Height of the Head = Equally Divisible by Four
1
BEAUTIFUL
1
BEAUTIFUL
1
Leonardo 2
Scaramuccia 3
1504
UGLY
Leonardo
Grotesque 1
Face, 1504
2
UGLY
Leonardo
Profile of 1
a Man
1504 2
BEAUTIFUL
Leonardo
Grotesque
1
Face, 1504
2
3
UGLY
Leonardo, Drawings of Grotesque Faces
Leonardo, Drawings
of Grotesque Faces
Leonardo, Drawings
of Beautiful Faces
Ideal
Proportion
for Adult
Human
Male
Brad Pitt
in the Film,
Troy, 2004
Achilles
Versus
Hector
Leonardo
Vitruvian Man
1490
Cesari
Cesariano
Vitruvian
Man
1511
Agrippa, Vitruvian
Man, Illustrations in
the Philosophia
Occulta, 1533
Susan White,
Sex Change for
the Vitruvian
Man, 2005
VITRUVIAN
WOMAN
Mark Growling
The Simpson
1994
VITRUVIAN
CARTOON
EURO COIN
Ancient Greek Vitruvius Leonardo
Classical Sculptures Proportion of Man Vitruvian Man
400 BC 100 AD 1500
Kouros Ancient
Greek Sculpture
600 BC
Praxiteles
Doryporus
(Spear Bearer)
440 BC
Ancient Greek
Sculpture
Praxiteles
Hermis
340 BC
Myron
Discobolus
(Disk Thrower)
460 BC
Venus
de Milo
150 BC
Michelangelo
David, 1501
Tolentino
Oblation
UP Diliman
1939
Model was
Fernando
Poe Sr.
Tolentino
Alma Mater
(Lualhati)
UE Manila
1957
Model was
Ofelia Salas
LECTURE 8.3
The Golden Measure
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
What is the
ultimate reality?
ULTIMATE REALITY: NUMBER
Eternal, Unchanging, Indestructible
PYTHAGORAS
570-490 BC, Samos
GOLDEN MEASURE
Golden Section
Golden Ratio/Proportion
Golden Rectangle
Golden Spiral
GOLDEN SECTION. Division of a line so that the
whole is to the greater part as that part is to the smaller part.
a b
b c
c d
d e
GOLDEN RATIO. Geometric relation of two quantities in which
the ratio of the sum of the quantities to the larger quantity is equal.
a b c d 1.618
= = = =
b c d e 1
GOLDEN RECTANGLE.
Rectangle whose side lengths are in the golden ratio.
f
e d
c
GOLDEN SPIRAL
Spiral that traces the golden rectangle
f
e d
c
Golden Measure applied to the façade of Parthenon, 447 BC
Golden
Measure
in Leonardo’s
Vitruvian Man
Golden
Measure
in Leonardo’s
The Monalisa
Golden
Measure
in Leonardo’s
St. John the
Baptist
Manet, Olympia, 1865 GOLDEN MEASURE
Hokusai, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, 1833 GOLDEN MEASURE
Mondrian, Composition with Gray and Light Brown, 1918 GOLDEN MEASURE
Golden
Measure in
the design of
the logo
of Apple
Golden measure in the
design of the Tweeter logo
The Golden Measure in the Design of the Violin
The Golden Measure in the Head of US President Donald Trump
MATHEMATICAL THEORY OF ART AND BEAUTY
Pentagram and the Golden Ratio
Video 8.1.
LECTURE 8.4
Mathematical Structure
of Music
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
AUDITORY
SENSE DATA of music as sound
ELEMENTS
RHYTHM LENGTH: Longness and shortness of tones
PITCH HEIGHT: Highness and lowness of tones
DYNAMICS VOLUME: Loudness and softness of tones
TEMPO SPEED: Fastness and slowness of tones
TONE: Sound of music
NOTE: Written tone
MATHEMATICS Indicated by the TIME SIGNATURE
OF RHYTHM and by the VALUE OF NOTES
TIME 4 Number of beat per measure
___
SIGNATURE
4 Kind of note that receives one beat
VALUE OF Whole 16th
NOTES RHYTHM
Half 32nd NOTATION
Quarter 64th AND
FRACTION
8th 128th
1 whole note in 4
___
1 measure
4 1
2 half notes in 1 4
___
measure
4 __
1 __
1
2 2
4 quarter notes in 4
___
1 measure
4 __
1 __
1 __
1 __
1 DR. ALLAN C. O
DR. ALLAN C
4 4 4 4
8 eighth notes in 4
___
1 measure
4 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
16 sixteenth notes 4
___
in 1 measure
4 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1
16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16
The values
of notes are
4
___
always
equivalent 4 _1 _1 _1
to 1 for 4 4 2
every
measure
4
___
4 _1 _1 _1 _1
2 4 8 8
4
___
4 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1
4 4 8 8 4
The values 4
___
of notes are
always 4 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1
equivalent 8 8 8 8 2
to 1 for
every
measure
4
___
4 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1
4 8 8 4 8 8
4
___
4 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1
4 8 8 16 16 16 16 8 8
KULINTANG:
MAGUINDANAO
RHYTMIC MUSIC
INSTRUMENTS
Kulintang
Agong
Babandir
Dabakan
PALABUNIBUNYAN
Group of Musicians who
play Kulintang Music
KULINTANG RHYTMIC MODES
BINALIG
1 1 1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1
4
___
4
4
___
4
SINULOG
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1 1
TIDTU
1> 1 1> 1 1> 1 1> 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
TAGUNGGO
1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
MATHEMATICS Indicated by the position
of the notes on the staff
OF PITCH
do re mi fa sol la ti do
UT queant laxis
The names of
REsonare fibris
notes were
MEra gestorum
based on the
FAmuli tuorum,
composition by
SOLve polluti
Guido de Arrizo
LAbii reatum,
(991-1033)
Sancte Iohannes.
HARMONIC NOTES: CHORD C Major
C maj. do mi sol do
Distance 2 1.5 2.5
HARMONIC NOTES: CHORD D Major
D maj. re fa la re
Distance 2 1.5 2.5
MUSIC
AND Video 8.2.
MATH
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN,
Piano Sonata in C# Minor (Moonlight Sonata)
CANON IN D MAJOR
Progression of Chord
D A Bm A
G F#m/D G A
JOHANN PACHEBEL
1653-1706
ACTIVITY AND
ASSESMENT
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
ACTIVITY AND ASSESMENT
a. Individual activity: Watch the Video 7.2.
“How to Draw the Human Face.”
b. Draw a human face based on the canons
of proportion shown in the video.
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
RUBRICS FOR ACTIVITY 7
Needs
Excellent Good Fair
CRITERIA Improvement
(10-12 points) (7-9 points) (4-6 points)
(1-3)
The composition The canons of The composition The canons of
Application of applies all the human proportion applies the canons proportion are
the canons of canons of human are applied correctly, of human applied
human proportion except on some proportion incorrectly in the
proportion completely and parts of the incorrectly, in many whole
correctly composition. parts of it. composition
The composition
The composition Some instructions No instruction
Following the does not follow
follows all the are not followed in are followed in
instructions many of the
instructions. the composition the composition.
instructions.
The whole There are some Many parts of The whole
Aesthetic
composition is parts of the the composition composition is
value of the
very pleasing to composition that are are not pleasing not pleasing to
composition
look at. not pleasing to see. to see. look at.
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
