Video Reviews - Week 9

I chose to watch El Greco: Rediscovering a Master because I was familiar with the artist’s name and wanted to learn more about him.  I mentioned earlier that one of his paintings, View of Toledo, is my favorite ever.  I found out that his real name is Domenikos Theotokopoulos and is one of Spain’s greatest painters. I was most interested in how his training and work in Medieval, Byzantine, and Renaissance styles come together in works such as “The Triumph of the Holy League.” I think it is fascinating how so many artists are largely unappreciated until long after their deaths; many people thought El Greco was extravagant and even “insane.” The film directly related to the Romantic Movement and modernism as introduced in the textbook, and also included information on other artists in the book who are connected to El Greco, such as Picasso.

I was attracted to La Primavera because I know it means "spring" in Spanish and I desperately want spring to come!  I learned that there are many different connotations for this painting - some of which are very controversial.  Some of the themes that are visible throughout the piece are sex and the concepts of humanism and neo-Platonism that we read about in the book.  I was surprised to hear that rape, as well as a completely converse theme of flowers, were common themes in these kinds of paintings and ultimately showed that adversity breeds a happy marriage.

I watched The Night Watch because one of my favorite bands has a song with the same title.  I am not very familiar with the Dutch and their legacy - now I am.  This painting is amazing - it is so huge.  I was blown away by its size.  One of the most blatant things about this painting was Rembrandt's use of chiaroscuro - the light was definitely an important part of this piece.  Furthermore, I found it amazing that it survived despite being attacked with blades and even acid.  I also learned about how it was "trimmed" to fit through a door - which is considered a bigger act of vandalism than either of the previous two acts I talked about.

I chose to watch Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance because I honestly just wanted to know more about him. I thought it was extremely interesting that Da Vinci was able to spontaneously write from right to left in a mirrored style - I can't even fathom doing that.  Before I decided on Public Communications, I considered being a morgue technician (I know, very odd differences in career choices), so I thought it was really interesting that Da Vinci performed secret autopsies.  I'm glad I decided on this video since now I feel like I have a connection with Da Vinci!