The Power of Art last night

I watched the two episodes of the PBS show that were broadcast last night. On the whole, I prefer the book. The first, on van Gogh, was beautifully filmed and I loved the closeups of juicy mounds of wet paint being attacked by a brush. But there was a little too much of wind blowing in the wheatfields and shadows in unknown places and the actor playing Vincent tended to mumble his words (or maybe that's my hearing). I didn't get any of the passion of van Gogh. Schama as narrator of his own book was fairly good, but a little arch at times (and maybe that's just my perception). The Picasso segment was very informative on the history of the Guernica painting and I enjoyed seeing various stages of that great work. But again, a little too much TV art with bullfights and mysterious shadowy profiles of an actor puffing a cigarette or cigar and presumed to be Picasso. Both episodes were really quite beautiful, but I guess I expected something a little different. I'll watch the remaining programs in a different frame of mind.

Check out Charley Parker's blog on the Power of Art broadcast. He has images and links to other information about the program.

The Power of Art on PBS

This eight-week series is based on a book I reviewed several months ago. I enjoyed The Power of Art by Simon Schama very much and I'm looking forward to the series. The first program on van Gogh airs in my area tomorrow night, (Monday, June 18) at 9:00 p.m. est. The second episode, on Picasso, immediately follows at 10:00 p.m. I believe the remaining programs are one hour. Check your local listings on the PBS website. You can request to be notified of upcoming Power of Art broadcasts.

What I found intriguing about the book was its coverage of the political influence and social, cultural and business aspects of the various artists. It will be interesting to see how all this is played out on TV.

Book Review: Theo van Gogh

We read a lot about Vincent van Gogh and his relationship with his brother, but not much is said about Theo and his personal life and how his interactions with Vincent affected him. In Theo van Gogh: Art Dealer, Collector and Brother of Vincent Chris Stolwijk and Richard Thomson have brought Theo out of the shadows into the light of his own accomplishments. The book was published in connection with an exhibition at museums in Amsterdam and Paris of works Theo Van Gogh bought, sold and/or collected and is lavishly illustrated with many of these works, including Vincent's, as well as a photographs of principal players in the lives of both men. In spite of Vincent's rantings, Theo never failed him in his support. Both were ahead of their time, Vincent with his art and Theo with his recognition of the emerging artists of the time. Sadly, Theo lived less than a year after Vincent took his own life. The scholarly essays included in this exhibition catalog are great reading and the artwork shows what an eye Theo had for quality in the new art of his day.