Video Reviews

More Human Than Human

The human form creates a great obsession for artists. None of the world’s most famous images of the human body actually resemble a human being. One of the first images found was in 1908 at the Danube river valley. It was an intact statute of a female figure. Venus Willendork gives clues to the tendency to make unrealistic human figures. It is thought that the human brain of our ancestors was preprogrammed to exaggerate female features that were of the upmost importance. As the weather changed nomads gathered along the river. The Egyptians used images of the body very often in art. On the Tomb of Ramses VI there were thousands of human body images. The figures were not exaggerated though. Egyptians created images of the body for 3000 years consistently. Ancient Greeks were also fixated on the human body. They believed in many gods and goddesses. The Greeks believed the gods took human form and had beautiful bodies and good looks. Greek and Egyptians ways of making larger sculptures. Polyclitus made a break thought in art by dividing the body into quadrants and moved the parts of the body to give a sense of movement. He captured the way parts of the body moved the tenses and relaxed body and poised for action. The Riace bronzes give the idea that a culture that is able of realism chooses to exaggerate the human body. Today, the art of caricature is driven by the human desire to exaggerate what is important to a culture.

  I chose this video because I found the title interesting and the video was interesting.  I liked how the talked about the human body as art.

Late Gothic Art and Architecture: England, 1400-1547

The key concepts/ideas are in the 15th and 16th centuries there was a time of faith and consumption in England. People then began buying more things. Henry VII was a part of the Tudor Dynasty. He added perpendicular style Chapel to Westminster Abbey. This chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary in 1503. Lord Cromwell commissioned Tattershall Castle which is a building which was the top limit of what a person is allowed to build. In the 15th century the pilgrimages demonstrated piety. The middlehan Jewel is full of religious images. Hans Holbein wants to make sure Henry VII is known as a patron. Many art books and objects were sent in from Europe. The regional architecture of wealthy East Anglia is notable for its extensive wooden roofs. Churches became a place of worship and socialization in the community. The tomb monuments were sculpted into emaciated figures. The end of the middle ages was the end of king Henry VIII reign. There were many great works of art that came out of the middle ages. 

I chose this video because the title stuck out to me and I like to learn about the order of the ways art progressed throughout history.

A word Inscribed: The Illuminated Manuscript

Most people during the middle ages were illiterate. Scribes worked hard to preserve events in order and knowledge. In old manuscripts it tracks the process of making a book.  The process is scraping the animal skin to making the hasp of the book, lastly it is used to teach others when the book is finished.  Scribes worked in some poor conditions such as an aching hand, poor weather, difficult texts, and tired bodies.  They worked hard and believed their work makes up for a life of sin.  In the 13^th century there were many changes throughout Europe.  Increases in cities and trade between areas made reading a necessity for business.  Toward the end of the middle ages there was an increase in luxury books.  These books were romances, histories, and prayer books.  The invention of the printing press ended the need for scribes and illuminators, although there work should not be forgotten.  They were extremely devoted individuals. 

I chose this video because I find it interesting how hard the scribes worked to capture events and why they did it.

 

The videos relate to the text by elaborating and portraying a visual from the information in the text.  The videos really help to capture the meaning in the text.  It also helps when your having trouble picturing some of the information in the text.  It gives you the visual. 

I like the videos they taught me about the human body as art, more on the history of art and how it impacted religion, and scribes.  I especially liked watching the video on the scribes.  I find their work fascinating and the reasoning behind working so hard at it.  Overall i enjoyed the videos and they continued to add to my knowledge base of art.