Educational Media Reviews Online

Written and presented by British art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon, this six-part series on the Renaissance succeeds in imparting a more-than-basic understanding of the cultural, intellectual, and social transformation that characterized the Renaissance. Each program explores one major theme or idea, which is illustrated by major artistic icons. For example, the program titled The Pure Radiance of the Past: The Revival of Ancient Architecture focuses on the Florentine masters, who embraced a return to classical models and broke new ground in the discovery of mathematical rules for determining perspective; the work of Filippo Brunelleschi, Masaccio, and Lorenzo Ghiberti is highlighted.

Other programs trace the beginning of the Renaissance to the Middle Ages; explore the patron / artist relationship, a precursor of the modern idea of artist as celebrity; contrast Christian art in northern and southern Europe; examine effects of color and light in the work of Titian Tintoretto, and Veronese; and question why the Renaissance ended.

The series was shot on location throughout Europe and Graham-Dixon is the teacher-guide for this armchair travel and history lesson. He has a private audience with this great and inspiring art and architecture and the inclusion of many close-up views of the art will surely engage viewers. His narrative is fact-filled, articulate, and at times, poetic. Period music enhances the atmosphere.

Graham-Dixon's delivery is absolutely the same from one program to the next-he moves about little and his phrasing and cadence does not change. As a result, this viewer was occasionally lulled into not listening. The consistency became monotonous over six hours and I longed for variety in the presentation.

Can someone learn more about the Renaissance from reading a book? "Yes, most likely." So, why have these videos? They are an excellent supplement to books and catalogues and can be effectively used in college classrooms and by the adult learner.