The Modern World Video Reviews week 9

I chose the videos Dance as the Moulin de la Galette, and A Sunday on la Grande Jatte, 1884 because sadly enough, I did not recognize the names of these paintings, and I wanted to be able to know more about them, and remember them for the famous works that they were. Once I saw the second painting featured in the second video I did recognize it, but it was interesting to hear more information that I already knew about both.
The first video discussed the artist Renoir, and how he painted Moulin de la Galette not once, but twice, only changing the size! No one knows exactly which one came first, but he painted a place that people would know well and recognize. He used the same women models as he did in his other paintings. Industrialization wiped out most of what Renoir depicted in his paintings, which made his vision romanticized, because he wanted to see everything as beautiful. Anything he painted was romanticized in fact, and was turned into a wonderful fantasy. Ryoei Saito was a collector bought the smaller version and kept it in a vault for many years, saying he wanted it to be cremated with it. Luckily the painting was seized, and is now in a private location.
The next video described and focused on Georges Seurat and his painting, A Sunday on la Grande Jatte.  Being a very discreet and reserved man, these characteristics rubbed off on his artwork. It had a very mysterious aspect to it, and there are and were many questions as to who the featured figures were, and why they were depicted in the actions they were in. In Seurat's day, prostitutes often hung out at the riverbank, in the exact location where he painted Jatte. People wonder if the famous lady fishing is a prostitute.  Also, the monkey in the painting was proven to be painted later, more towards the completion of it in fact. He was influenced by Classical art and it is apparent in his famous painting with the pointillist technique and color theory. His career as an artist lasted a mere 10 years before he died.
Both of these videos relate to the text because they further emphasize the influence of art movements on artwork.  I liked both films, and thought the new information I learned from each was very interesting. I couldn't believe that Renoir made two different copies of the same painting! The videos related to the art concepts  because they discussed their histories, and showed the connection to the art movements of the times.