Schama’s “Power of Art”
Simon Schama’s Power of Art: Flipping through the channels to watch a movie the other evening, I happened to stumble on the first episode of this BBC series airing in the US on PBS. With 8 episodes, the series looks at Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt, David, Turner, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Rothko.
Despite the somewhat hokey reenactments scattered throughout some of the episodes, Schama offers excellent commentary and a thorough discussion of the symbolic, biographical, and historical importance of the artists and their work. The New York Times reviews:
“Power of Art” succeeds not because of the power of the chosen masterpieces but because Mr. Schama masterfully weaves engaging mysteries around each artwork.
For more on the series, check out the BBC’s website, PBS’s site (full of video clips from each episode), and the extensive Intro pdf.
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