Customer Reviews

Piet Mondrian (Artists of the 20th Century)

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This is the most disappointing documentary that I've seen in ages. This was really nothing but an art appreciation lecture burnt onto a DVD. Nothing moves in this work because it's all just his artwork and nothing more. No scenes of Paris or Northern Europe at the time; no Victorians nor Edwardians attending art exhibits; nothing. There are two self-portraits of Mondrian. There are no photographs of him nor his family. As an artist, he seems to have moved from expressionism to abstraction/avant-garde work. Mondrian is principly known for the latter, yet this DVD focuses on the former. Further, the narrator never says why Mondrian switched artistic styles. That would have made a great discussion, particularly if it would have been historicized a la the change of the centuries. However, this was not done. I almost like the artist less because of this poor study. His spirit should leave its grave and sue the makers of this awful DVD!

This documentary presents hundreds of works by the artist. It is a narrated slide show. The commentary is very detailed, competent, and comprehensive. It includes extensive biography mixed with a very professional painting analysis encompassing influence of other artists with examples of their works. The quality of video and sound is good.