BBC History of Western Art (6 episodes)

BBC Landmarks of Western Art 2006

The BBC's Landmarks of Western Art 2006 is one of the must-see videos to understand Western art history, with a look at the most important artists from the late Middle Ages to the late 19th century (the most important period of Western art).

Speaking of artistic enlightenment, I have to mention the BBC's "History of Western Art". This film basically includes famous paintings from Western history. The documentary introduces the background and evolution of Western art in six episodes: Post-Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical, Romantic, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist periods.

Mainly painting, the characteristics and biographies of important people are introduced, and the explanations are simple and simple. After watching this documentary, I basically swept away the illiteracy of Western art, and when I watched the exhibition, I also had a bottom in my heart.

Episode 1: The Late Medieval World

In the Middle Ages, the most powerful organization in Europe was the church. At that time, the supremacy of the church in society also had a great influence on the art of the time. Many of the artists of the time were painters responsible for producing church manuscripts. They depict religious themes wholeheartedly, using ancient artistic techniques to convey the main idea of purifying people's hearts. The works of Giotto, Van Eyck, Bottijali and others are masterpieces of this period; however, in the late Middle Ages, when art faced major changes, this new wave would lead to the heyday of the Renaissance in the 16th century.

Episode 2: Renaissance Education

After the Western world broke away from the Middle Ages, Western art also entered a new era. The end of the 15th century was the beginning of the most glorious era in the history of Western art. Around the 1500s, artists began to be revered like "geniuses", and they were able to create masterpieces unprecedented in Gothic. Many of these artists, such as Michelangelo, Lamar, Andiperda Vinci, were sponsored by religious and others and embarked on an ambitious project. The meaning of the word "Renaissance" is rebirth, that is, to recreate the classical world of Rome and Greece. During the "Renaissance", people began to rebel against academic, philosophical and other dogmas, and developed the idea of "man" as the center, and these artists observed the world from a new perspective and created masterpieces unprecedented to human beings. Masterpieces such as "Mona Lisa's Smile", "The Last Supper", and "The Rising Sun of the Virgin Mary" are the precious legacies they have left to human civilization.

Episode 3: The Baroque in the Baroque Period

The Baroque period began in the 1600s and ended around 1715. The word "Baroque" is used to describe something contrary to classical and Renaissance art. The art of the classical Renaissance was paramount to harmony, balance and proportion, but the art of the Baroque period was the opposite, and the artists of that period loved oblique lines, drama and enthusiasm. The artistic activity of the Baroque period mainly advocated the overall consummation, so the works of the Baroque period looked more dynamic. Another feature of Baroque art is its diversity, which produced many different painters during this period; such as Cavallaccio and Limbrante, as well as painters such as Carassi and sculptors such as Bellini.

Episode 4: Rococo and the Neoclassical Period From Rococo to Revolution

Paintings from the Rococo period and the Neoclassical period are the subject of this episode. The origin of the word "rococo" stands for "ornate decoration". He follows the techniques and styles of the Baroque period, but expresses more intimate and intense feelings, and his works are full of sensual joy. The origins of neoclassicism can be traced back to the first half of the eighteenth century, when they opposed Rococo's decorative style and pursued a new style of minimalist art. They were inspired by the so-called "simple and calm style of ancient art". Neoclassical color is used more cautiously, the lines are very simple, reducing the use of color, it seems to be an artistic style that extends the intellect to the sensibility, the theme line is clear, and the background is very simple. The works of Hogarth, Hua Feng and Gatspolo in this episode are close to eye.

Episode V: Romanticism in the Romantic Period

1789 is considered the beginning of modern thought, and of course in art. The French Revolution opened a new page in the history of art, during which artists created the most important masterpieces in the world, a period we collectively refer to as the Romantic Period. The works of the Romantic period should not only be beautiful, harmonious and pay attention to proportions, but on the other hand, they should strive to present the grandeur of history and nature.

The core of Romanticism is individualism, and feelings become the focus of Romantic expression. At that time, it was more important to express individual feelings than to express the reactions of the masses, so Romanticism focused on self-portraits and emotions, so Romanticism followed the rise of neoclassicism, representing the supremacy of feelings over reason. In the works of Constabor and Goya, we can see masterpieces full of a strong romantic style after the classical style has gradually faded.

Episode 6: Impressionism and the Post-Impressionist Period

Impressionism and Post-Impressionism were a genre of art that emerged in Paris, France in the second half of the 19th century , and the work of this group of young artists , unlike the works of academic art of the time , was more liberal and colorful.

The rise of Impressionism is partly due to the fact that, 50 years after the prevalence of neoclassicism, it has become too old-fashioned and too academic, and Romanticism has become too indulgent in the inner world of the individual. What the Impressionist artists wanted to record was the external world that people saw with the naked eye. Another major achievement of this period was the use of color and visual presentation, and after combining these factors, the Impressionist masters Cézanne and Shura became famous in the painting world, and Monet's "Water Lilies" and Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" were the masterpieces of this period. The history of Western art has entered a new milestone.