Reading the Image
By: Alice Guillermo
Who is Alice G. Guillermo?
Alice Guerrero Guillermo is a renowned
writer, researcher, art critic and professor
in Philippine art. She won the Art Criticism
Award of the Art Association of the
Philippines in 1976. From 1995 to 1996 she
continued research in Japan under a Japan
Foundation Fellowship.
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Basic Information
Title of the Work
– may be significant or
insignificant
Artist’s Name
– biographical data
Medium and Technique
– documentation, material and
technique
Dimension or measurement
– format of work
(rectangular, etc.)
Date of work
– date, year, period
Provenance
– present owner, collector
of work
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There are two interrelated aspects in arts
1. Art has its specificity: its particular language that
has to do with the mediums, techniques, and visual
elements of art.
2. Historically situated and shaped by social,
economic, and political forces
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 Basic Information
 Title of the work: The Fruit
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
Gatherer
Artist's Name: Fernando
Amorsolo
Medium and Technique: Oil
Painting on Board
Dimension or Measurement:
Landscape, 59x74 cm
Date of Work: 1950
Provenance: Government
BASIC SEMIOTIC
PLANE
CONTEXTUAL
PLANE
The Four Planes
ICONIC PLANE OR
IMAGE
EVALUATIVE PLANE
BASIC SEMIOTIC PLANE
– study of signs, elements, technical and physical aspects of work.
(Semiotic is concerned with everything that can be taken as a sign)
BASIC SEMIOTIC PLANE
The Fruit Gatherer by : Fernando Amorsolo
Description
When: 1950
What time: Early Morning
What: Beauty
Description: A lady sitting on a wooden chair while holding a basket of
fruits.
How: A lady wearing a Filipiniana sitting below a bamboo tree while
holding basket of fruits
Analysis: The contrast of the colors of the head band of the lady to her
dress, her skin color to her sit and the colors of the fruit to the tree and
the background
Symbol: The outfit of the lady and the fruits
Meaning: Admiration to the beauty of a Filipina. The smile of the lady
corresponds to the bright colors of the art
Physical Description
Position: Center: The lady is sitting comfortably with a
smile on her face. The colors red, blue, yellow, white
and green were evidently repeated. The red see
through top made the white sando to be seen to
show her purity.
Background: The bamboo three on the left side. The
color of sunlight on the right side. The figure of a
man on right side of her hand. A mountain-like
figure on the right side of her shoulders.
ICONIC PLANE OR IMAGE
Signifier-signified relationship:
 Particular features, aspects, and qualities of the image
 Includes the choice of subject
(socio-political implications)
Position of figures
 Presentation of the image
(frontal, three - fourths, etc.)
Style of figuration
 Proportion of the body
 Deals with the image itself
ICONIC PLANE OR IMAGE
The Fruit Gatherer by : Fernando Amorsolo
CONTEXTUAL PLANE
Full meaning of the work (human and social
implications)
 Relationship of art and society
 Complex such as – concepts, values, emotions, attitude,
atmosphere, sensory experience
Personal and social circumstance of its production.

It contains allusions to personal or public elements
conditions, stages, as well as influences.
CONTEXTUAL PLANE
The Fruit Gatherer by : Fernando Amorsolo
EVALUATIVE PLANE
Form and content

Evaluation of the material
Full meaning of the work

Real life and the real world
Analysis and examination
EVALUATIVE PLANE
The Fruit Gatherer by : Fernando Amorsolo
THANK YOU !!!
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