Seville’s Architectural Heritage: Baroque to 20th Century
Church of the Hospital de la Santa Caridad, Seville
This photograph showcases the Church of the Hospital de la Santa Caridad in Seville, a prime example of 17th-century Andalusian Baroque architecture. The building embodies the religious and artistic sensibilities of Seville’s High Baroque period.
Miguel de Mañara, a nobleman deeply committed to charity as a path to salvation, promoted the church. Its construction began in 1645 and concluded in the following decades, featuring the contributions of
Read MoreEl Greco’s The Burial of Count Orgaz: Art, Legend, and Meaning
The Burial of Count Orgaz: El Greco’s Masterpiece (1586-1588)
Undoubtedly, The Burial of Count Orgaz is considered El Greco’s masterpiece. The contract for the work clearly specified what should be represented. According to legend, when the body of Gonzalo Ruiz de Toledo, the Lord of Orgaz (who was not truly a count but a lord), was to be buried, a miracle occurred: Saint Stephen and Saint Augustine descended from heaven to inter him. El Greco, however, transforms this medieval legend into a realistic
Read MoreUnderstanding Culture: Definitions, Types, and Societal Concepts
Understanding Culture: Definitions & Concepts
Defining Culture
Culture is defined as the set of knowledge, beliefs, customs, and human inventions. It also encompasses a set of information that is socially acquired and transmitted by means of language. The notion of culture includes:
Key Components of Culture
- Tools, Techniques, and Technological Works: These are inventions by human beings, ranging from primitive tools for hunting and growing to the most sophisticated computers.
- Knowledge, Beliefs,
Art, Time, and Self: A Creative Process Unveiled
“The present was an egg laid by the past that had the future inside its shell.”
Why This Quote Resonates: Time’s Flow
I chose this quote because it captures the flow of time in a powerful and poetic way. It reminded me that nothing exists in isolation — everything happening now is a result of something that came before, and everything we do now shapes what’s coming next.
Personally, it made me think about how my own life is constantly being shaped by past experiences, decisions, and even mistakes,
Read MoreInterdisciplinary Insights: Culture, History, and Society
Philosophical Foundations & Social Theories
Key Thinkers and Concepts
- Jacques Derrida: French philosopher who coined “deconstruction.”
- Franz Boas: Believed culture determines human social development. Argued that race is not biology, but culture; human nature is best understood through culture.
- Walt Rostow: Proposed stages of economic development:
- Traditional society (agriculture)
- Transitional stage (specialization)
- Take-off (industrialization)
- Drive to maturity (innovation)
- High mass consumption
Italian Baroque Art: Quirinal Palace Frescoes & Caravaggio
Italian Baroque Art: Quirinal Palace & Caravaggio
On the sides, there are several scenes:
Battle of Romans against Veienti and Fidenati (1598-1601)
In this battle scene, a huge diagonal line creates a foreshortened pyramid. The vanishing points vary from one extreme to another, and movement is highlighted in the main figure, possibly referencing Corvetto Palace (or a study of horses from the 15th century, perhaps by Florentine Floriano). Some figures wear transparent armor that reveals their detailed