Impressionism: Revenge of the Nice
Matthew Collings has a wonderfully simple and funny way of making you understand the when, where, why and how of important is art so this programme will get your head around impressionism in a couple of hours.
Matthew Collings will reappraise the Impressionists. The four stars are Courbet, Manet, Monet and Cezanne. In two hours their stories and their art will intertwine.
Matt will unpack the principles of Impressionism - the strength of color, the flatness, the patterning and the way in which ordinary life is pictured with startling truth - and argue that this is the best thing that has ever happened in modern art.
He will also show that although the contemporary art world seemingly despises Impressionism it is only because of Impressionism that the avant-garde came to be.
A fine documentary: but a little glib. Speaking of "reality" the narrator says "We don't really know what's out there." One wonders how he knows that. And for some reason, Cezanne's religion is mentioned twice. He is even mad for going to church every week and giving alms to beggars; while the other artist's' , glaring faults both political and philosophical, are glossed over as youthful exuberance. Cezanne's psychic struggles, in late 19th century France, is treated like some sort of mental disease.
Still in all, if one keeps in mind that the opinions fly thick in this doc, (and this commentary), it's well dopne and well worththe time spent watching and quite beautiful and informative.
I've always loved impressionism but I am sorry that Renoir wasn't given as much precedent as the others, whom I consider my favourite.
Just happened onto your film through the Free Documentary site. After ten years of living in Paris and another thirty here in Burgundy - I'm originally from west coast USA - I thought I knew 'something' about Impressionism and 'a little' about French history. I guess I didn't. Will share the program (and your site) with both my French and American friends. Mille remerciements for sharing with all of us.
Hi! Thanks for the great job with this website. It has done a lot for my growing. I would really like to see more docs on art because it's such an important subject.
@NotaJew, uggg, your profile name made me laugh so hard. I'm not sure why, Im notajew too, and live in Burrough Park, so I'm pretty saturated, but something about seeing it here on SeeUat Videos cracked me up. Thanks for the laugh.
Great doc, I have a much greater appreciation for the style and the artist than ever before. And I have to agree with Mark, Collins has a very nice delivery and whimsical attitude.
Thanks Vlatko!
yes, more gratitude to you , Vlatko , for giving this to us all. ( I live in relative isolation in a small Canadian back water ...and mid winter makes it twice as culturally quiet.... so perhaps you can imagine the thrill all these documentaries offer. )
@vlatko
i dont know who you are. i'm assuming you created this site based on comments i have read. just wanted to say it's awesome what you're doing and i hope for success in whatever you undertake.
Dropping art was the biggest mistake I've ever made.
yeah... i gotta say this website is outstanding.. keep adding more documentaries representing all views- including stuff people see as "ugly", or immature.. if it has some value please add it. Thank you for your work creating this website, its rare when people create GREAT things.. and you have!
Vlatko, you have created something special here ! And to have a section on art is just wonderful :) Maybe one for travel will be like icing ..
though I did come upon one troubling stat - there aren't any docos on women in the biography section .. er :)
I'll try to add some @Casey.
Learning to paint in the style of the impressionists was a great lesson in learning techniques that gave my art freedom and confidence. I personally love the sheer layers of colors and movement they provide.
Art! How wonderful!
I enjoy collings documentaries, his patchy way of expressing things with pauses. Personally I dont think manet's le petit de'jeuner was meant to be directly about prostitution, although it was obviously on manet's mind, i think it was a placement of formal elements designed to shock, the theme of prostitution is an interpretation, however thats just my interpretation. Visually the impressionists were great artists, their art captures the beauty of nature better than any other movement and thats why they are so popular witht the general public now. It is a shame that contemporary conceptual art relies so much on a one hit punchline, aesthetically it is definitely lacking. Theres nothing clever and conceptual about tracy emin's bed she is just an attention seeker whose catharsis has become the attention of the art world.