Entry #9: Video Reviews

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

 The Great Wave: Katsushika Hokusai was a famous Japanese painter. He was 90 years on and hoped to make it to 100 but unfortunately did not. He is well known for his paintings in which there was a woodcutter and there was also a fisherman who seemed to hold a strong meaning behind it considering the artist wanted to make it to old age. He is known for his artwork having various textures that can be seen throughout his paintings. The emphasis on his Japanese strokes was quite interesting because it showed the pauses that Hokusai made as he tried to create these strokes. The seal at the bottom was also cool because it symbolized his other "artist" name as well as the age he hoped to be.

Early Photography: The creation of daguerreotypes was becoming widespread and known across the world. Producing these daguerreotypes was labor-intensive and required lots of equipment and skill. The plate is made of copper faced with silver. Louis Daguerre sold his formula to the French government so his creation can be available to all.

Death of Marat: A woman who seemed to be a part of the monarchy came in and stabbed Morat brutally with a knife, hence the painting in which Marat is seen dead. Marat was the leader of the revolution at the time. The image of him being in the tub is analogous to Jesus being brought down from the cross.

Manet: Manet was interested in the human figure. Looking at this painting by Edouard Manet was quite intriguing. The woman appears to be looking directly at us but in the reflection behind her, there is a male figure which seems to be slightly to the side. His work was full of distortion which was quite interesting as well. A woman at a bar especially alone could be viewed as sexually available to men.

Delacroix: Eugene Delacroix's subject matter was mostly from a historical perspective. His paintings almost always represented the freedom that France yearned for at the moment. Liberty seemed to be directing the rebels in the painting. People of all classes came together to fight for their freedom in the painting. The revolution is seen as huge and dangerous if all classes are fighting in it. The painting is classified in a pyramid to create some sense of order within the chaos going on. Art could be political.

Monet: Monet's subject matter were poplar trees. Monet wanted to finish his series of paintings so he paid the man that was going to cut them to hold off so he can continue his work. He loved nature. Monet had to work swiftly because his painting would be affected by the light.

Cassat: The painting of the mother with her daughter depicted a sense of intimacy between the two and a strong familial bond. The way in which the mother's mouth opens a little seems as if she is speaking to her child.

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

The videos relate to the readings In the text because in the text it gives a more in-depth description of what the video briefly touched on. For example, the video told us what was going on in Delacroix's painting and how all class people were fighting in the revolution side by side but in the reading, it gives us much more background information on how everything came to be. This can also be seen in "The Wave" video and reading.

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

The videos were quick and easy to watch, short and sweet as I like to call it. The videos were not long and boring. They most certainly caught my attention and made me look at certain time periods in a different way. I liked the narration in all of the videos. This narration is not a given when reading a reading so this made me understand the point of each video even more. I am more visual so seeing the connections of the different artworks was helpful as opposed to just reading about it in the readings.