week 7 video blog review

I chose each of the four videos (The Drawings of Michelangelo, Albrecht Durer, The Night Watch, and Velasquez) because I wanted to know more about the drawing style of Michelangelo, I knew that Durer was well known for doing woodcuts, but I wanted to know more about his paintings and prints, I was curious about the reasoning behind The Night Watch and Rembrandt is one of my favorite artists, and lastly because I wanted to know more about the Spanish artist Velasquez.
The Drawings of Michelangelo video showed that they bring viewers closer to Michelangelo himself, by being able to see a more intricate, detailed, and private side of him through his drawings. The drawings showed his original ideas that he continually sued over and over, bring them almost everywhere with him to use as influences in his finished masterpieces. Michelangelo used the self-taught skill of sculpture to make masterpieces such as David. The way he worked and thought was shown through his detailed drawings and sketches. Glimpses of his sketches were shown that are rarely available to the public, and most related to the future finished pieces, such as the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo's preparatory drawings compared to his final masterpieces, and they showed more of his sexuality, love for the human body, master of anatomy, and his techniques and perfectionism.
The Albrecht Durer video clip showed the hint of narcissism in his work, as he was named one of the greatest artists of the Northern Renaissance. He was the first true landscape artist in Europe as well, and was able to capture the moods of landscapes accurately. Venetian art also had an impact on his artwork. Durer had a wonderful gift of portraiture, and was a dedicated craftsman. He focused on the art of perspective, and how it might be attained. Woodcuts were one source of media that he used to offer as an influence to Gothic tradition, by using Italian Renaissance forms.
The Night Watch was a painting completed by Rembrandt, and is the object of pilgrimage to the Dutch. The actual painting has gone through many trials, including being slashed by a knife, being doused with acid, and water. It is a monumental work that suggests movement, uses dramatic light, and much perspective. Rembrandt interpreted the commission for the piece in his own way, and approached it in a Revolutionary way. There is a mysterious young girl in the background of the painting that no one has been able to explain. The Night Watch was disassembled by modern artists who are trying to show that it can be perceived in different ways.
The Velasquez clip was influenced by Italian painters such as Rubens. Velasquez was a court painter for King Phillip IV of Spain, and spent much time documenting him. He was one of the most famous painters of Spain and many of his works took a lifetime to complete, ad he continually started, stopped, and preceded with them. He was also a very educated artist, and an idealist, who used his artwork to capture personalities full of movement and emotion. He had very little interest in color, and used it simply in some paintings. He was known for capturing the truth in his works with a technical expertise.
The videos relate to the readings in that each one focuses on a specific part of the two chapters, and describes it in detail, with historical facts, footage of live artwork, and depth in explanation of artists such as Michelangelo, Durer, Rembrandt, and Velasquez.
The videos also relate because they discuss artists from important art periods like the Italian Renaissance, The Gothic and Middle Ages. By showing the famous works of these artists, it explains the histories behind the artist styles, and the stories and meanings behind the works. The videos helped deepen my understanding by having more knowledge and visual knowledge of the artwork. Hearing and seeing information about the different art styles, techniques, and movements such as the Renaissance period helps me more than just reading about it.