Video Reviews

More human than human:

This video was chosen because it was required. Some key concepts I learned from the video is that no other image dominates our lives more than that of the human body. I also learned that in the past, certain features are underemphasized and others are overemphasized. This demonstrates the values of the culture at that time. Other culture's depicted bodies in the way they wanted their people to be; perfectly proportioned. The video relates to the reading in that it focuses on the Egyptian culture's depiction of human form, as well as the swollen bodies of female figures with emphasis on bellies, breasts, and hips (pointing to the importance of child-bearing). I think this film is really interesting because I never thought about how much we as humans focus on our bodies, and the bodies of others. It is an image that is pervasive in our world, past and present. I think it related well with the readings, too.

Greek art and the human figure:

I chose this video because Greek history interests me, being that I myself am Greek. Some key concepts I learned was that the Greeks had an obsession with perfecting the human form as well as portraying it in a realistic way. They also had obsession of the nobility of the form they sculpted; the artists wanted to capture something about the human condition/emotion in their art. In the 6th century, the Greeks moved on from Egyptian styles, and began to produce the human form in 3D. Basically, the Greeks sculpted “ideal forms” for human beings. This video relates to our readings in how it discusses the way the Egyptian art influenced the Greeks.  They also both discuss the ideals represented in Greek sculptures. I think this film was a good supplement to the readings. I learned a bit more in depth about the messages the Greeks were trying to convey about the “perfect form” through their art.

Cairo Museum:

I chose this video because it had to do with Egypt, and I have learned through this class that the Egyptians were one of the earliest influencers of art. Some key concepts of the video were to discuss the types of artifacts inside the museum, such as 30 dynasties, 5,000 years worth of history and artifacts that are housed there. The museum is basically ran by Dr. Zahi (spelling?). The museum contains 160,000 artifacts, but only half are displayed. The rest are in their basement. This video exposed their process of going through the basement and trying to do an exhibition there. This relates to the reading because it discusses Egyptian art and artifacts and how much important history there is in it. I thought this film was insightful because of the vast amount of history and artifacts contained in the museum that the public hadn’t seen yet. I enjoyed learning about it.

Beyond the Classical: Byzantine and Later Greek Art

I chose this video because it had to do with Greek art and history, as I mentioned earlier, that is an area of interest for me. The key concepts in the video dealt with the progression of Greek history and art and how they evolved over time in Europe. Greek art typically depicted Christian themes, using icons. During the Byzantine period, the church encouraged the destruction of “secular” art. The Greek gods were not allowed to be depicted in art, only Biblical icons. Architecture was also an area in which the Greeks contributed much.
I thought the fact that there is an Icon school now in Greece was really interesting. I enjoyed the still shots of Greek buildings because they are so beautiful. The columns are so regal looking. I thought this video furthered my appreciation for the Greek culture even more.