I picked the first 4 videos, of the Renaissance with artist, based in Italy. I did not pick the videos from northern European artists, not very interested in them. The videos were a good complement to the text, which happened to be pretty good for Michelangelo and DaVinci.
1) Drawings of Michelangelo. Before Michelangelo's paintings, sculptures, or architechure became art, he needed to make pencil drawings of everything. michelangelo made drawings of the Pieta, David, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Last Judgement, the Medici Tomb, and St Peters Basilica, among others. The problem is, he destroyed most of his original drawings. Some remain for study. Ghirlandaoi taught him to paint and draw, but his only signed sculpture was the famous Pieta with Mary and Jesus. He had a great knowledge of the human body, as seen with the David Statue, made in Italy in 1501. In 1508, he started the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel a very difficult job. This again was started with drawings. He then did the Medici Church architecture and sculptures, but he left it unfinished. Michelangelo's private life was confusing, and at the end, he did crucifixion drawings before his death.
2) Leonardo Da Vinci: The mind of the Renaissance: Yound Leonardo showed great promise in his youth, and was an apprentice in Florence. He was many things: a painter, a sculpture, architech, and engineer, a student of anatomy, a student of botany, and other sciences, a true "Renaissance man". He loved machines and how to improve them. He tried to be a military engineer by inventing war machines. He painted the Virgin on the rocks, but it took him 25 years to deliver it. He did some nasty human dissections, and made accurate drawings of them, including the muscles and ligaments. In 1499 Da Vinci left Milan for Venice, where he helped defend the city from invading Turks, even designing a underwater attack system. He eventually returned to Florence to paint the famous Mona Lisa. He has a lot of engineering designs that were never created for real. Da Vinci eventually moved to the Vatican in Rome, where he continued to work on inventions and research.
3) Power of Art : Caravaggio: What a strange video...very strange life of this artist. The Renaissance was a time where the catholic church tried to keep it's power and faith with the people, and away from the protestants. Protestants favored printed bibles, not paintings and sculptures. Caravaggio was a painter that used street people as models in 1593 Rome. He did not paint the classical styles with these poor people. The 'Boy with a Basket of Fruit' was of common people, as was the card game painting, done with amazing realism. The Calling of St Matthew was about a sinner, not a saint, and was a sacred success. The Martyrdon of St Matthew was basically a back alley fight. The Beheading of John the Baptist was a scene of horror and cruelty, instead of beauty. Caravaggio led a strange and tragic life.
4) La Primavera, by Botticella. This "Primavera" was beautiful painting of flowers, beautiful people, a magical, inspiring painting. It was made in the 1480's by Botticella. Venus and Cupid are in the painting, with other mystical people like Mercury. The painting may originally been a wedding gift, even with the themes of rape and violence, which does not make sense. It is difficult to understand the true meaning of the painting, with the 9 figures present, and it's erotic overtones. The Primavera is a popular painting in moderns homes all over the world.
All the videos were pretty good. I think the Caravaggio video was a little exaggerated with all the violence, and acting.
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