How to Look at and Understand Great Art

tv show

poster for How to Look at and Understand Great Art

36 total episodes

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1 seasons

First Aired January 01, 2011

Overview

Contemplate the "anti-art" spirit of Dadaism, its nihilistic yet humorous indictment of civilization and bizarre use of unconventional media. In the sensibility of Surrealism, observe its compelling focus on the subconscious and two substyles - dream imagery, with its juxtaposition of objects and settings, and "automatic drawing," eliciting unplanned images from the unconscious.

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Revolutions—Neoclassicism and Romanticism

Season 1 - Episode 28 - 0h 0m

Air Date

January 01, 2011

Overview

The early 19th century saw the emergence of two compelling and highly contrasting styles. Referencing the art of Napoleonic painter Jacques-Louis David, discover the tenets of Neoclassicism, specifically its ordered composition and emphasis on stoicism, morality, and rational control. In works by Eugène Delacroix, find the spirit of Romanticism and its concern with dramatic proportions and expression of emotion.