Module 9: Video Reviews

1.      Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.

I chose the video “Albrecht Dürer: Image of a Master” and “Velázquez” because they seemed the most interesting and they were of shorter duration, which allows me to easily focus on key concepts and facts.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

 

Video 1: Albrecht Dürer: Image of a Master

·         Durer was very talented and made a self-portrait at the age of 13.

·         He enjoyed painting hands and cecame an apprentice at 15 to Michael Wolgemut, and eventually painted his portrait

·         In 1489 he journeyed through southern Germany to Switzerland, as a traveling craftsman

·         After marrying Agnes Frey, he went to Italy, where he began painting landscapes. He introduced real, not idealized landscapes into the backgrounds of his artworks.

·         His style changed and the Venetian style began to influence his art. The colors he used were bright and the images were softened and natural. He would apply 4-6 layers of color to achieve an enamel like finish

·         He learned to eliminate color and use light and shadows to determine solid form in his works.

·         Durer was eventually able to take advantage of printmaking, as he could create hundreds of copies of images. He made prints of scenes from daily life too.

·         Experimented with steel engraving techniques, and he was constantly evolving his art

Video 2: Velázquez

·         Skilled at capturing timeless elements in his works, truth, sensibility and emotion

·         Studied Italian painting in Venice and Rome for two years, and became a deeper painter upon his return to Madrid.

·         Painted very slowly, and his works matured in his studio, often taking years to complete a painting. He worked on paintings a little at a time.

·         Has been called a realist, but is more an idealist. He tried to conform reality to an inner concept of order which was as precise as geometric pattern but with no concern for shapes themselves.

·         His subjects appear fixed where he paints them but animated with movement.

·         Created portraits of jesters and other goofs for the kings, but struggled with portraying their unattractive features. He didn’t know how to balance the subject’s humanity with their deformities. He suggested depth through soft/strong colors and lack of detail/details so the viewer would look in to the character rather than at them.

·         Paints the truth in what he sees, and does not paint what we perceive as beauty.

·         Had minimal interest in color

·         Painted some of his greatest works during his last 10 years of life

·         Believed the purpose of painting was to guide the beholder’s eye to what the painter had seen

3.      How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

The text Chapters 14, 15, 16 and 17 discuss different eras of art, particularly in Europe, and other countries. The videos discuss the eras of Durer and Velazquez and the impact traveling to parts of Europe, particularly Italy, had on their painting style. Both artists spent time in Italy and upon returning to their homes, they were strongly influenced by the Italian heritage and even though they were from different eras. Velazquez is discussed in Chapter 17, and many of his paintings are shown in the text and video.  

4.      What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

It was easier to explore the style of each artist through watching the videos, rather than reading about the explanation in the text. The videos discuss several topics and ideas that are present in the readings, but images in the videos are easier to interpret than the text descriptions, and the videos go more into depth than the text.