The Great Artists chronicles the lives, times and works of the men whose genius has captivated the art world for generations. Informative and entertaining, the series highlights important events in each artist?s life, expl... more »ores their stylistic trademarks, and provides detailed explanations of their techniques. The Great Artists also features expert commentary and analyses from leading authorities, art historians and scholars, and new location footage. This fascinating program includes all new location footage, re-creations and reconstructions, studies of the great works, commentary and analyses from leading authorities, art historians and scholars. Included in the series: Gauguin, Munch, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Rousseau, Cezanne. Paul Cézanne sought a method of capturing the underlying structure of any subject matter. His eventual triumph derived from a revolutionary new approach to color and to perspective. His paintings were often derided by the critics, but by the end of his life, his genius was beginning to be appreciated. Cézanne?s influence on 20th century artists was so great that he is now referred to as the "Father of Modern Painting." This fascinating program includes all new location footage, re-creations and reconstructions, studies of the great works, commentary and analyses from leading authorities, art historians and scholars. Paul Gauguin was thirty-five when he made the momentous decision to abandon his lucrative career as a Paris stockbroker and devote himself full-time to painting. Gauguin?s bold use of flat, unmixed color gave his paintings a strong sense of personal expression, but his work struggled to find acceptance at the time. Poverty and obscurity dominated Gauguin?s years as an artist. Not even a move to Tahiti could bring him happiness. Yet the paintings tha the created there are now recognized as masterpieces of the Post-Impressionist age. This fascinating program includes all new location footage, re-creations and reconstructions, studies of the great works, commentary and analyses from leading authorities, art historians and scholars. Vincent Van Gogh remains the ultimate example of the tortured artistic genius. His whole life was a struggle against poverty, loneliness and mental disorder. In a feverish spell of painting prior to his death, Vincent Van Gogh proved himself a great artist. The hundreds of canvases that he painted in the South of France are now recognized as masterpieces of the Post-Impressionist age. His use of thick, swirling color was a conscious attempt to express his own tortured state of mind through his work. In his landscapes, still-lifes and portraits, he succeeded. Though he sold just one painting in his lifetime, works such as Sunflowers now sell for tens of millions of dollars. Henri Toulouse-Lautrec was ultimately, a tragic figure in the history of art. Crippled by an ill-proportioned body, he lived for just 36 years before the effects of alcoholism and syphilis took their final toll. His dissolute life spent in the brothels and nightclubs of late 19th century Paris provided the subject matter for his finest work. His radical, boldly colored paintings and posters of the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub succeeded in conveying the unique feeling and energy of contemporary Parisian nightlife. In 1893, a Norwegian artist created a masterpiece which became a defining image of the 20th Century. The Scream is a picture whose sense of anguish reveals much about our own lives, as well as the life of its creator. All his life, Edvard Munch suffered the consequences of a childhood surrounded by madness and death. By middle-age, his own being broke down completely. But by then, his pictures and prints had gained him fame across Europe. As a young man, Munch left Norway to live the Bohemian life. He developed a passion for the greatest contemporary art of the Post-Impressionist age, and his own mature work reflected the influence of Seurat, Gauguin and Van Gogh, amongst others. Henri Rousseau was a true amateur. His professional life was spent working as a customs official. But in his spare time, he painted and was utterly convinced of the greatness of his art, despite his complete lack of formal training. Although he was heavily criticized by many for his use of brightly colored images and child-like techniques, he did bring a sense of vitality, charm and innocence to his painting. This fascinating program includes all new location footage, re-creations and reconstructions, studies of the great works, commentary and analyses from leading authorities, art historians and scholars.« less
Director:Cromwell Productions Genres:Documentary Sub-Genres:Documentary Studio:Kultur Video Format:DVD - Color DVD Release Date: 05/30/2006 Release Year: 2006 Run Time: 5hr 0min Screens: Color Number of Discs: 6 SwapaDVD Credits: 6 Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 3 Edition: Box set MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated) Languages:English
"Kultur has a whole lot of fine titles in their collections. Content wise - they give a good though superficial survey of their subjects, but their production values are in the sewer. I keep ordering and I keep getting stung. The NYC Tabloids have a better printing production record than that which is issued in Kultur's ART SERIES. Come on DVD is supposed to be sharp and crisp. The Post-impressionists follows the poor reproduction in The Impressionists which follows the poor reproduction in The Dutch Masters, which follows The Landmarks of Western Art. Do you get the picture? I wish Kultur would GET THE PICTURE and then give us a quality DVD reproduction of the world great art."
A pleasure to watch...
MJ | USA | 09/18/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I really enjoyed this set along with a bunch of friends of mine. it had a lot of information to learn from and the packaging was attractive. I also gave this set as a gift to someone in my family and they loved it. i can admit it's not perfect, no program ever is. and nobody else offers such great and diverse content. Kultur, I'm glad I found you."