Comments on: Rembrandt on The Power of Art http://www.linesandcolors.com/2007/07/09/rembrandt-on-the-power-of-art/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:25:54 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Charley Parker http://www.linesandcolors.com/2007/07/09/rembrandt-on-the-power-of-art/comment-page-1/#comment-88668 Charley Parker Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:46:37 +0000 http://www.linesandcolors.com/2007/07/09/rembrandt-on-the-power-of-art/#comment-88668 I have to say that I liked the Rembrandt eposide best so far, perhaps because it fell back less on actors (and did not presume to present Rembrandt himself) and more on the work and Schama's spoken essay. I have to say that I liked the Rembrandt eposide best so far, perhaps because it fell back less on actors (and did not presume to present Rembrandt himself) and more on the work and Schama’s spoken essay.

]]> By: Dan van Benthuysen http://www.linesandcolors.com/2007/07/09/rembrandt-on-the-power-of-art/comment-page-1/#comment-88643 Dan van Benthuysen Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:14:01 +0000 http://www.linesandcolors.com/2007/07/09/rembrandt-on-the-power-of-art/#comment-88643 While I suppose there is some similarity to the Holbein image, most art historians so far have focused on Rembrandt's elbow that projects from the ledge and have linked this self-portrait to Titian's portrait known as Ariosto (www.all-art.org/baroque/portrait1.html) or to Raphael's portrait of Baldasare Castiglione (http://www.artchive.com/artchive/R/raphael/raphael_castiglione.jpg.html), Both are paintings Rembrandt is known to have seen at auction in Amsterdam in the year before he painted the wonderful self-portrait you show here. Regarding the Schama series, I have to say that even with the grimacing actors I find myself predisposed to like any tv series about art simply because there is so little about the subject aired. I'll stay tuned for the rest even if Mark Rothko seems out of place in this company. I also think that what the wacky camera angles and grimacing actors really demonstrate more than anything else is that television is not a medium in which Schama is yet comfortable. (You can't for example imagine Ken Burns telling these stories this way.) That's too bad because Schama is a terrific writer and I do think he has done a mostly good job of condensing some of these artist's lives and art into an hour. While I suppose there is some similarity to the Holbein image, most art historians so far have focused on Rembrandt’s elbow that projects from the ledge and have linked this self-portrait to Titian’s portrait known as Ariosto (www.all-art.org/baroque/portrait1.html)

or to Raphael’s portrait of Baldasare Castiglione (http://www.artchive.com/artchive/R/raphael/raphael_castiglione.jpg.html),

Both are paintings Rembrandt is known to have seen at auction in Amsterdam in the year before he painted the wonderful self-portrait you show here.

Regarding the Schama series, I have to say that even with the grimacing actors I find myself predisposed to like any tv series about art simply because there is so little about the subject aired. I’ll stay tuned for the rest even if Mark Rothko seems out of place in this company. I also think that what the wacky camera angles and grimacing actors really demonstrate more than anything else is that television is not a medium in which Schama is yet comfortable. (You can’t for example imagine Ken Burns telling these stories this way.) That’s too bad because Schama is a terrific writer and I do think he has done a mostly good job of condensing some of these artist’s lives and art into an hour.

]]> By: Katherine http://www.linesandcolors.com/2007/07/09/rembrandt-on-the-power-of-art/comment-page-1/#comment-87498 Katherine Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:34:41 +0000 http://www.linesandcolors.com/2007/07/09/rembrandt-on-the-power-of-art/#comment-87498 Thanks for the links Charley. Thanks for the links Charley.

]]>