"Video of the Week" - The Power of Art - Rembrandt - by Florida Fine Art Blog

The Power Of Art: 3/8 - Rembrandt (BBC Series)

In keeping with the last post of the Rembrandt show at FSU I thought of a great art series I had seen years ago.  A quick search and I found it all posted on YouTube. Taken from a series Simon Schama did for the BBC back in 2006.  Mr Schama, a noted Art historian, chose eight artists in this series that tries to explain the need for and power of art through the ages.  The eight artists in order are; Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt, David, Turner, Van Gogh, Picasso and Rothko.  This video is part 3 of 8 and focusses on Rembrandt.  In it we learn how Rembrandt bucked the tone and esthetic of the day, often to great cost to the artist.  With few exceptions, the artists that truly challenge the establishment and shine a light on the hypocrisy of their day are marginalized and ridiculed.   The appreciation for their work however grows as the establishments influence fades.   Until one day the only record of the lost ruling class is in the world famous artists depictions.  Time it seems  gives the artist the last word.  GL