Szenina Russo
1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.
I choose the Drawings of Michelangelo because I find his sculpture and paintings or frescos true works of art. I have learned about his famous works before but I would like to obtain as much knowledge about him as possible. I think that his work is astonishing and that I truly believe it is hard to find individuals with the talent or capabilities as artists such as Michelangelo. I learned new ideas and concepts behind his drawings that I did not know due to the universal push to focus upon the more well known works of art.
Leonardo da Vinci was the other video that I choose to watch due to the connections in ability between the two artists. Although their subjects were the same, the approach, technique and process was diverse for both of them. In this case, I decided to watch Leonardo da Vinci’s video to compare and contrast between the two. I have learned about this artist before but would always like to know as much as I can about influential people in the arts. I know the fundamentals and how well rounded he was as an artists, this video enhanced by understanding of the individual as well.
2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
Drawings of Michelangelo:
Drawings contrast from rough sketches to well accomplished works of art. He was born in Florence and buried in the Santa Croce Basilica. Michelangelo and his brother were the center of a workshop for commissioned work for elite patrons and the church. Michelangelo's understanding of the body composition, anatomy, twists, and other aspects of the real form is brilliantly demonstrated in his drawings. Michelangelo barrows the idea of cross hatching and ability to show volume of the body under clothing. Art conservations have tried to mimic his work and technique and she describes how difficult it was to replicate the rendering the way that he has.
He had taught himself to sculpt, one of his well known sculpture was the Pieta. It replicates Christ in the arts of the Virgin Mary in Rome, it caused a sensation. Naked male figure renderings must have fascinated Michelangelo and inspired him. Michelangelo would make drawings of statues to place the figures in movement. In is drawings, he makes make in a chisel manner although he is sculpting on paper. He was called in Florence to make the celebrated David, 13 feet height. He was the first to carve this type of statue in marble in this mass. This reflects the government of Florence and the young republic. Battle of Cascina reflects a victory against their neighboring enemy and showing all of the soldiers involved with conflict. Twisting nudes are a recurring fascination with Michelangelo.
In 1508 was the creation of the commission of the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. It reflects scenes of the book of Genesis, figures had to be prepared for the ceiling around architectural elements. The most famous part of the frescos, when Adam and God are about to touch hands is the way in which he chooses to show this tale. The whole ceiling is an invention of technique within the way he choose to depict these important scenes. His use of line, contour and value is imperative to the way that forms are shown in the frescos. The scale that he had to paint the figures is massive as well as the hurdle of painting upside down. The family tombs would be designed for the chapel and the sculptures that would decorate them. The Medici family would be places there, but would be left incomplete. The drawings are shown to compare and contrast how proportions and technique of replication of the bodies have changed. He is drawing a marble study of a body in a particular place and for light to reflect or bounce off of.
The 1530s show the intimate relations within his works, the male body and sometimes animals. The spiritual and physical aspects in his art are always being juxtaposed and thought about in his work with Christianity as the center. Christ of the resurrected form is an example of his innovation of this scene in religion. Mass and tangled bodies are studied over and over again by Michelangelo by the good of heaven and the horrors of hell. Emotion in relation to the human form is a subject played and interested him.
Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of Renaissance
Leonardo was a son of a lawyer and servant girl, he has always been intelligent as well as in tune with nature. He has began to draw at a young age and grew up in Tuscany. He was interested in the human body in relation to motion. He moves to Florence when he was still young as was in the studio of Reny de Rocio. Leonardo’s extensive understanding of anatomy according to the human body made him an amazing artists. He was not only an artists but also an architect, mathematician, engineer and strong in other subjects.
He was the first to make landscape the primary subject to a painting, and would explore what is true in nature. Material and spiritual aspects of a painting were most important to him. He was extremely philosophical that would influence his art making. He worked for the Medici family, serving them with creativity. Leonardo had tendencies to include homosexuality in his drawings or themes within his sketches. He places with faces and emotions within them. He pays attention to animals and depicting them in many different contexts. Treatment of light, landscape, dark background all show his thought of wanting to show depth.
Battles, christianity, machines, gestures, emotions and figures are all recurring themes studied and practiced by Leonardo. I did not know that he claimed to not be well read and believes that experience is the most appropriate way to acquire knowledge. Music seemed to be an influential aspect in his work as well. Values with the use of light seems to be the focal point in many of his paintings. He organized entertainments and shows for the public, which gave him opportunities to experiment with his mechanical inventions. He becomes the official court painter. He was commissioned by many officials and wealthy people to create portraits for them. Spirituality or the soul of a person and their physical being is a concept that is played with by Leonardo. Softness of a figure such as the Virgin Mary, other other woman is shown in many of the scenes depicted by Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa is his most well known painting with a sense of atmospheric perspective and sfumato application in the face. Leonardo is a pioneer and has made up innovations to change the flow of waterways. He soon moved to Rome, commissioned only minor works due to the recurring non finished works. He passes away at age 67 in the arms of the king.
2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?
The video on Michelangelo correlates with the text in context. The text covers all of the main, well known frescos and sculptures that were completed during his lifetime. The video goes more in depth about the drawings that his art would then proceed. This was a very interesting aspect to the video to understand the process and involvement drawing had on his work. A lot of Michelangelo's achievements had to do with sculpture more so than another medium due to his capabilities. The video provided light upon the other aspects to his work and how he was well rounded in drawing, painting and sculpture.
Leonardo is mentioned a few times throughout the text and the readings are connect to the video on a lot of the same theories. I thought that the text did well in explaining the basis of Leonardo's talents, contributions and strengthens in art. I believe that the text does a great job of explaining all of his well known drawings and explaining that he was also involved in engineering, mathematics and other subjects. The text is a good starting point to get an overall understanding of the artist, while the video provides other details.
3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?
Drawings of Michelangelo:
The first film was informative and not too lengthy. I thought that the analyses and discussion of the artists was a good length to understanding everything. The video was straightforward and want not hard to understand. I really liked that the video was based on drawings and not sculpture. I feel as though a lot of approaches to Michelangelo are centered around sculpture, this was a new and different approach. A lot of the information in the video was new information that I was unaware of or didn't have the exposure too, so I appreciated the context of the film.
The film of Leonardo was similar to the video on Michelangelo in style. The videos are able to give a bases of the artists and work their way through their entire lives. They also focus on more than what they are famous for. The video on Leonardo went into detail about not only his strengths but also what he struggled with as a person. I enjoyed the information given on Leonardo about the many disciples and interests that he had. Many of the courses that I have taken thus far focus on Mona Lisa and not on the other smaller works that he was commissioned to do.
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