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Picasso: Portrait of An Artist
Picasso: Portrait of An Artist
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List Price: $19.95
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Product Details

  • Starring: FĂ©odor Atkine, Georges Braque, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso
  • Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
  • Binding: VHS Tape
  • Director: Didier Baussy
  • EAN: 9786302919554
  • Format: Color, NTSC
  • ISBN: 630291955X
  • Label: Homevision
  • Manufacturer: Homevision
  • Number of Items: 1
  • Product Group: Video
  • Publisher: Homevision
  • Release Date: 2000-06-13
  • Studio: Homevision
  • Theatrical Release Date: 1985
  • Title: Picasso: Portrait of An Artist
  • UPC: 037429005439
Avg Customer Rating: 4 stars

Product Description: This 80-minute survey of the works of cubism's great master is a little slow, granted. Other titles in the Portrait of an Artist series move faster and explore the lives and philosophies of the artists in more depth and more personally. But Pablo Picasso isn't your everyday artist, and his work and philosophy can't be summed up even in 80 minutes with great ease. This documentary focuses heavily on the art per se, and in sequential order--passing from Picasso's traditional, post-Impressionist still lifes and portraits into his increasingly abstract work. The sheer number of paintings presented here is impressive for any video of this nature; usually directors choose to showcase only a few typical pieces. But here we find beside Picasso's well-known cubist works and legendary allegories--such as Guernica--exposure to the untamed, moody early Picasso, the somber, blue Picasso. There are paintings here not usually featured in Picasso exhibitions--paintings that may surprise you, paintings that don't at first seem representative of his work we know best. The narrative of the documentary uses a choppy voiceover that evokes in its own way, perhaps a bit pretentiously, the modernist style in most of the work. And then there is the metal-gate motif: each new set of paintings is first presented hung from the grating of a large, industrial metal gate and slid before the eyes of the camera on the gate's tracks. Lights then highlight or shade the next painting for consideration. It's a stark, somewhat alienating approach--but not inappropriate. Less stark but no less provocative is the interspersal of scenes of a Spanish bullfight, in all its gory detail. If you are new to abstract modernism, you may find this video a bit over your head, but for hardcore Picasso enthusiasts, there is much here to satisfy. --Erik Macki


Customer Reviews


4 stars One that started it for me..
This is the first video (or item period) I ever saw on Pablo Picasso, and really the first thing I saw that made me want to become a painter myself. (I was previously an illustrator/graphic designer) In short, It shows the great variety of Picasso's works from his very early to late years, and the different periods. The music and sound-effects throughout are also very nicely done (still all stuck in my head!) and definitely add to the atmosphere of all the various works being shown (In comparison to a lot of other 'older art videos' (from the 1980's usually)..this one is one of the few I found a little unique and well-done in it's direction. (Many of them are notoriously dull I have to admit)
It does have a few 'lower' points though.. The narrative for instance, though interesting, is full of many of the most infamous (& mostly untrue) myths around Picasso's life. Not a big deal overall though.. (reading Richardson's books clears up most of these) And it may not be for the more 'faint of heart' or 'animal-sensitive' among us either.. as there's a number of rather bloody bullfight scenes interspersed throughout. (I'm not fond of bullfights myself persay.. although I think I actually got used to watching them from seeing this video a number of times (lol) (terrible, I know..)
Overall, I'd definitely say this is worth a look, or even a 'buy' If your a big enough fan of art or Picasso in-particular. But be sure to follow it up with 'Picasso: Magic Sex Death' by John Richardson for a more thorough review on Picasso's life and works.


4 stars Abstract Picasso
I'm not a painter and I'm not an expert and maybe it is an advantage. It is wonderful to have Picasso on DVD and to be able to have still pictures of Picasso. But I find this DVD too abstract and isolated from the historic period of world wars, and the fascist movement and all the terrible things it caused many people to do, loosing any sign of humanity. One gets the impression that this DVD deals only with Bullfights although I'm convinced that Picasso was artistic deep inspired by it. Picasso was socially involved and all the great artists who create in this period felt their obligation to criticize and avoid this kind of behavior. In a documentary film on a twenty century artist I look for the personal touch and want to know the artist personally and not to feel like being in a sterile laboratory. I didn't like the flow of this DVD it seem to me fragmentary and pretentios, But I still recommend this DVD remember that this is just a part of the whole picture.


4 stars Sterile Picasso
I'm not a painter and I'm not an expert and maybe it is an advantage. It is wonderful to have Picasso on DVD and to be able to have still pictures of Picasso, I find this DVD too much abstract and isolated from the historic period of world wars, and the fascist movement and all the terrible things it caused many people to do loosing any sign of humanity.
You can get the impression that this DVD deals only with Bullfight also I'm convinced that Picasso was artistic deep inspired by it. Picasso was socially involved and all the great artists who create in this period felt their obligation to remember and to avoid this kind of actions. When someone is doing a documentary film on a twenty century artist I'm looking for the personal touch and to know the artist personally and not to feel being in a sterile laboratory. I didn't like the flow of this DVD it seem to me very fragmentary and suffering from lack of modesty, but still I recommend to purchase this DVD
and to remember that this is just a part of the whole picture.