1. Explain why you selected each of the FOUR videos you choose from the selection listed above.
2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
3. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?
4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?
Velázquez: I chose this video because I am a Spanish concentration and though that it would have some interesting Spanish history. I was especially excited to see that it would be taking about El Prado which I have actually visited while I studied abroad in Spain in 2009. Velázquez created his works in real time, trying to capture the real moment in which he painted it. In his entire life he only had one friend, the King and one love his wife. His true passion was in painting. Spanish painters rarely painted mythological paintings, but he created it them anyways. The king allowed his to paint at his free will and if the King wanted a specific painting done it was made in friendship not by mandatory obligation. He worked very slowly and would often leave works unfinished for long periods of time and returning back to it later and again stopping again. Many of his works are based on early ages and artists. Velázquez doesn’t take sides even when depicting a war seen, he merely takes a human side and depicts what he saw as happening at that specific time. Velázquez also painted a lot of equestrious paintings. In one of these paintings he portrays Prince Baltazar Carlos on horseback and you can see his childlike vulnerability and the stillness and fading of the background. He was a very abstract painter, often in the background with blended nonspecific colors in the background. He was called a realist but often considered and idealist because he thought outside of reality. He didn’t pose those in which he painted but used his memory and I site of the area to recreate the background. He often used light to add detail to his paintings whether it was fading in or out. Baroque opposites are some of his most famous works, often of jesters painted for the king. He expressed the beauty underneath individuals with disabilities by adding soft and strong color, as well as details and lack of details. He did this so that the viewer wasn’t looking at the character but inside. He paints what he sees, the truth and doesn’t “pretty-fy” a picture. He created very few religious paintings, always sparing the use of color. His message was simple and all of his religious works were for money. This video relates to our book because it talks about the different styles of art and different techniques that we have learned about. For example equestrian works and how Velázquez used different types of abstract ideals. It also described how he created works in the Baroque Era, which our text book actually has examples of. I thought that the video moved kind of slow. There were long periods of just paintings with no description or label so that we could follow what they were talking about. I also wish that it had close caption because I often read along to help me focus better and know what the titles of the paintings really are so I’m not guessing. I did enjoy learning about Velázquez history and his various works of art.
La Primavera:
I choose this video because I knew that la primavera meant spring in Spanish. What I didn’t realize was that is also meant spring in Italian. However, it should have clicked that Botticeli was Italian because I knew of the Birth of Venus. Many people aren’t sure what the painting represents and they just like it, but others find it offensive. Primavera is Italian for spring, and each figure is draw slightly smaller than life size. You can see all the figures are from classical mythology, Venus, and her son Cupid aiming at the three graces, the male figure is Mercury, and the group on the right is Zephyr, Chloris (spelling?), and Flora. (However Zephyr and Flora are the same person) The background of this painting is a variety of different species of plants and flowers. He was taking a risk by creating such a pagan painting, but he was most likely hired to create such a work because many artists didn’t have a choice in what they painted. He was apprenticed by Fra Filippo Lippi where he learned how to depict the female body and movement through drapery techniques. The painting can be viewed with relating to religious paintings by the arch over Venus’s head giving her the same respect as the Virgin Mary and Venus has her own son Cupid who relates to the Christ Child. It is assumed that La Primavera was a gift for the marriage of Lorenzo’a nephew and his bride. The found it in an inventory of their town house in Florence, and was hanging over their bed. However, there is a dark side to this painting as well. The figures on the right side of the painting represent Zephyr who is raped and is turned into Flora and then marries Chloris. The theme was supposed to represent that even in adversity there can always be a happy marriage. This was suppose to ease the anxieties of new brides. He used an older media egg tempura because it gave the painting a different effect and translucency. To fully understand the painting you have to understand that it has aesthetical and intellectually exquisiteness. The flowers in the painting were made to add background and detail to the work, but the flowers also are connected with those in different seasons and marriage. When the last Medici died the painting became the property of Florence where it was displayed. The curiosity with the painting grew with the expansion of mass production of art. The many different aspects of the painting are still up for interpretation because of its seductive tones, and offensiveness to some viewers. This relates to our text because it gives us a better understanding and artistic style of one of the artists that is featured in our book. In our text it talks about the Birth of Venus during the Renaissance in Italy, and the movie went into detail about La Primavera by the same artist. I thought this video was very interesting! I loved all the different interpretations and possible meanings. I also learned about the time period in which it was created. It was a very informative and interesting video; definitely one of my favorites so far!
I choose this video because I knew that la primavera meant spring in Spanish. What I didn’t realize was that is also meant spring in Italian. However, it should have clicked that Botticeli was Italian because I knew of the Birth of Venus. Many people aren’t sure what the painting represents and they just like it, but others find it offensive. Primavera is Italian for spring, and each figure is draw slightly smaller than life size. You can see all the figures are from classical mythology, Venus, and her son Cupid aiming at the three graces, the male figure is Mercury, and the group on the right is Zephyr, Chloris (spelling?), and Flora. (However Zephyr and Flora are the same person) The background of this painting is a variety of different species of plants and flowers. He was taking a risk by creating such a pagan painting, but he was most likely hired to create such a work because many artists didn’t have a choice in what they painted. He was apprenticed by Fra Filippo Lippi where he learned how to depict the female body and movement through drapery techniques. The painting can be viewed with relating to religious paintings by the arch over Venus’s head giving her the same respect as the Virgin Mary and Venus has her own son Cupid who relates to the Christ Child. It is assumed that La Primavera was a gift for the marriage of Lorenzo’a nephew and his bride. The found it in an inventory of their town house in Florence, and was hanging over their bed. However, there is a dark side to this painting as well. The figures on the right side of the painting represent Zephyr who is raped and is turned into Flora and then marries Chloris. The theme was supposed to represent that even in adversity there can always be a happy marriage. This was suppose to ease the anxieties of new brides. He used an older media egg tempura because it gave the painting a different effect and translucency. To fully understand the painting you have to understand that it has aesthetical and intellectually exquisiteness. The flowers in the painting were made to add background and detail to the work, but the flowers also are connected with those in different seasons and marriage. When the last Medici died the painting became the property of Florence where it was displayed. The curiosity with the painting grew with the expansion of mass production of art. The many different aspects of the painting are still up for interpretation because of its seductive tones, and offensiveness to some viewers. This relates to our text because it gives us a better understanding and artistic style of one of the artists that is featured in our book. In our text it talks about the Birth of Venus during the Renaissance in Italy, and the movie went into detail about La Primavera by the same artist. I thought this video was very interesting! I loved all the different interpretations and possible meanings. I also learned about the time period in which it was created. It was a very informative and interesting video; definitely one of my favorites so far!
Albrecht Durer: Image of a Master
I chose this video because I recognized the name from reading about him in previous chapters. I also remembered him being mention in one of the chapters we just read, so I thought it would be interesting to learn more about him. Durer brought art out of the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance. He apprenticed with his father, and was making amazing portraits at a very young age. He was especially fond of drawing hands. He has an amazing eye for the process of aging. He later worked with Michael Wolgemut who he later painted his picture years after starting working with him. Durer was very talented with creating portraits, and was very interested with the process of aging. Durer is thought to be the first real landscape artist, and he was influenced by the Venetian artists. As he learns more about perspective and perfect form his paintings and woodcuts change and evolve. When Durer mass printed his work to support Martin Luther he was providing visual expression for the Protestant Reformation. Durer was always modifying and refining his art to improve it. He was always learning and understanding new techniques and styles. This relates to our book because we have studied Durer in early chapters and he was quoted in chapter 16 he is quoted saying “You, therefore if you desire to compose a fine figure, must take the head from some, chest, arm, leg, hand, and foot from others…For from many beautiful things something good may be gathered, even as honey is gathered from many flowers.” Durer was a major influence in German Renaissance and this video provides us with a better understanding of who he was as an artist as well as his specific gift for portraits and fascination with aging. This video was very educational but not quite as interesting as the previous video. It did give me a better understanding of his past and how he grew up and was influenced by his father. Over all it was an ok video.
I chose this video because I recognized the name from reading about him in previous chapters. I also remembered him being mention in one of the chapters we just read, so I thought it would be interesting to learn more about him. Durer brought art out of the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance. He apprenticed with his father, and was making amazing portraits at a very young age. He was especially fond of drawing hands. He has an amazing eye for the process of aging. He later worked with Michael Wolgemut who he later painted his picture years after starting working with him. Durer was very talented with creating portraits, and was very interested with the process of aging. Durer is thought to be the first real landscape artist, and he was influenced by the Venetian artists. As he learns more about perspective and perfect form his paintings and woodcuts change and evolve. When Durer mass printed his work to support Martin Luther he was providing visual expression for the Protestant Reformation. Durer was always modifying and refining his art to improve it. He was always learning and understanding new techniques and styles. This relates to our book because we have studied Durer in early chapters and he was quoted in chapter 16 he is quoted saying “You, therefore if you desire to compose a fine figure, must take the head from some, chest, arm, leg, hand, and foot from others…For from many beautiful things something good may be gathered, even as honey is gathered from many flowers.” Durer was a major influence in German Renaissance and this video provides us with a better understanding of who he was as an artist as well as his specific gift for portraits and fascination with aging. This video was very educational but not quite as interesting as the previous video. It did give me a better understanding of his past and how he grew up and was influenced by his father. Over all it was an ok video.
The Drawings of Michelangelo
I chose this video because I like Michelangelo. I find him to be a very talented and intelligent man. I have enjoyed viewing his different pieces that we have looked at in the book and wanted to learn more about him. Michelangelo’s sketches were something that he would be highly upset if people we viewing them today. Many of his drawings were destroyed by him because they showed the imperfections and the questionings of if liked the way something looked. Michelangelo was apprenticed with Ghirlandaio but he refuses the influence of him in his work. However, you can see similarities between the two styles when comparing them. Michelangelo taught himself how to sculpt and the “Pieta” is one of his famous works as a sculpture and the only one that is signed. He had a great understanding of the human body and depicts it with remarkable perfection especially in the statue of “David”. While examining his drawings the show an emphasis on the solar plexus of the human body. The figures are shown in an almost impossible torque and an unnatural emphasis on the structure. He began work on the Sistine Chapel in 1508 however, it later became a funerary chapel and the Medici family tomb. He believed that Christian faith was a strong push towards his desire for art. He created crucifixion drawings while dealing with his own death. He was creating drawings relating to his own feelings of hope and dread while coming upon the end of his life. This relates to our text because it is talking about Michelangelo and his style of work. We have looked at and learned about David in chapter 16, as well as his influence on the Renaissance. Michelangelo was an extremely talented artist and this video provided a more in depth understanding of his work ethic and history. I enjoyed this video and found it to be very informative and interesting. I enjoyed learning about how he grew up learning and studying to be an artist. This was my second favorite video that I viewed this time around.
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