1) For my video review I chose The Drawings of Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci: Mind of the Renaissance, La Primavera, and El Greco: Rediscovering a Master. I picked these four videos because each sparked my interest. Michelangelo is one of the most well known artists of all time, and I liked the idea of being able see some of the sketch work leading up to his masterpieces.
Da Vinci has always been a fascinating figure for me. His genius was not limited to painting but also spanned the realm of sculpture and mechanics. I knew immediately that I would watch this video.
I choose La Primavera because I remember reading about the work in High School art class so was excited to gain a further explanation on the meaning of this highly debated work.
The El Greco film was the only artist I choose who did not train in Italy
2) A key concept in the Michelangelo video is that Renaissance art is extremely realistic. The video taught me that Michelangelo’s idea of ideal beauty in the human form is not solely based on the flesh, but instead on the spiritual and emotional state that the body can convey. This video also shows how much work goes into planning and creating a work of art. Michelangelo sketched countless body positions until he found the perfect way to express his visions.
The Da Vinci video stressed the importance of proportion in art. He worked with a mathematical precision to make sure his works epitomized reality. He studied light and shadow and understood the type of depth shadows and reflections provide to a work. Perhaps the best part of the Da Vinci video was the fact that it shows how far reaching his genius was. He taught himself to sculpt, drew up blueprints for machines that had never even been dreamed about, and did it with flair and confidence.
La Primavera focused mostly on the work it’s titled for, but was no less interesting. It was the first popular, non-secular work. This video touched on Renaissance artwork’s realism but really broadened the spectrum due to the fact that La Primavera left so much room for interpretation. It covered themes of life, sex, passion and mythology and is still highly debated as to what it means today.
El Greco was the only artist who was self-taught in the Renaissance style. He was well travelled and showed us that culture defines art as much as art defines culture. There were Byzantine, Renaissance and Medieval influences throughout La Primavera.
3) “The Drawing of Michelangelo” was to me, the most similar out of all the videos in correspondence to the book. It’s possible that it’s because I knew the most about him going into this lesson but I feel both sources captured his essence and that he devoted much of his time into studying the human body.
The video about Leonardo Da Vinci was also true to his nature. Of course it led to a deeper understanding of his work but what the video captured the most was his intellect. The book credited him to being a master worked and unbelievably skilled artist but it didn’t convey how truly intelligent that he was. I thought it added a deeper understanding and I was very intrigued to hear all that.
La Primavera and The El Greco film were two choices that I’m glad I chose because I they didn’t catch my attention in the book. I think that was mostly because during the past couple chapters I’ve been so focused on artists such as Michelangelo, Rafael and Da Vinci. These videos helped to open my eyes and take learning a step further. As I mention during most of my video reviews, I’m more of a visual thinker so the videos you include for us to watch are a tremendous help and are an enjoyment.
4) I thought that each of the four films I watched were very entertaining and enlightening. I learned about Michelangelo’s perfectionism, the importance of the soul and intent in movement, and about his beautiful sculptures.
The Da Vinci video shared some of the same themes as the Michelangelo video but further expounded on the use of light and symbolism in art. Every Da Vinci work was a critique on politics, society, religion or all three at once.
La Primavera took symbolism a step further using mythological beings and nymphs in a beautiful garden paradise. Botticelli painted hundreds of different types of flowers with picture perfect precision but left the ultimate meaning of his work up to those viewing it. Botticelli was also a master of movement but generally concentrated on the female form as opposed to Michelangelo and Da Vinci who focused on males.
The El Greco film showcased that a combination of artistic styles can make for incredible works of art. La Primavera combined religious work with byzantine, Renaissance and medieval styles to make a piece that was beautiful, scary, realistic and whimsical at the same time.
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