tenth post

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

 I picked the Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance, The Drawings of Michelangelo, Velazquez, and La Primavera videos. I picked the first three videos because I like the works of da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Velazquez. I picked La Primavera because in high school, I took Spanish, and 'la primavera' means, 'the spring'. I was interested to see what this video would be about.

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

Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance: At the age of twenty, Leonardo is accepted into the painters' guild, and his creative imagination serves the pomp of the Medici court well. He caricatures the faces of the men involved in the slander against him.

The Drawings of Michelangelo: Michelangelo's surviving drawings reveal his perfectionism and his techniques. The conflicting forces of Michelangelo's passionate response to the male form and his intensely felt Christian faith are the driving forces of his art.

Velazquez: Velazquez is influenced by the Italian masters. Much of his work is based on an earlier age, and the work of another artist. "Surrender of Breda" is an example of Velazquez' "artlessness." Velazquez is an idealist from a vantage point above reality. He uses his mind's eye to capture the essence of a king personality characterized by stasis, but full of inner movement and emotion.

La Primavera: Though it is a secular painting, "La Primavera" evokes religious sentiments. Venus and Cupid can be seen in the same light as the Virgin and Child, the most popular painting motif of the time.  Historians speculate that the painting was originally commissioned for the marriage of Lorenzo's nephew and his young bride.


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

These videos relate to the readings in the text because this week, we read about the Renaissance time period and also the Baroque and Rococo styles of art.



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

I found the films very interesting. They add depth to the readings because they involve what we are reading currently. The videos give examples and details that the book did not give, and because of this, it enhances my understanding of the subject material.