Module 15 Videos

Greenberg on Art Criticism: An Interview by T. J. Clark

An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance (Giorgio Vasari)

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Greenberg on Art Criticism: An Interview by T. J. Clark- This film is about the conversation, spotlighting Clement Greenberg’s reflections on his career and its place in the wider arenas of art theory, art journalism, and the philosophy of aesthetics. Greenberg shares a number of insights on the relationship between art and history, the nature of value judgments in criticism, and what he calls America’s post-WWII “culture boom.”

An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance- Giorgio Vasari’s Lives of the Artists has been the basis of art criticism since the 16th century. The discussion between Master Vasari and his apprentice reveals the innovations of Giotto, Ghiberti, Donatello, Uccello, Masaccio, della Francesca, Botticelli, Leonardo, Raffaello, and Michelangelo. Masterpieces illustrate the Roman influence on Renaissance art and reinforce the concepts of perspective, balance, chiaroscuro, composition, and realism.

2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Criticism project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.

I do not believe these videos relate to my project as they were about completely different themes and topics than my project. While these videos were interesting, they really have nothing to do with my theme for the art criticism project which was "trees".

3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of art criticism?

Both of these videos were interesting. The first film with Greenberg definitely added depth to my understanding of art criticism. It taught me how to take the right approach to critiquing work. The second video, however, did not add depth to my understanding. I did learn a lot of information about the Italian Renaissance, like it was the earliest manifestation of the general European Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement that began in Italy during the 14th century and lasted until the 16th century, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe.