I’m checking them off if I’ve seen them and I’ll be updating this list as I go… Am I leaving any out, do you have any suggestions?
☆ star rating for my personal favorites.
Pollock
Goya’s Ghosts ✓ Man, that Spanish inquisition was creepy!
Lust For Life I started this once, but I don’t remember finishing it…
Camille Claudel
Girl With a Pearl Earring ✓ Chevalier’s other novels were far more captivating compared to this bestseller, which bored me just like the movie. Had it’s “pretty” moments though…
The Da Vinci Code ✓
The Mystery of Picasso
Sketches of Frank Gehry ✓
The Horse’s Mouth
Incognito
Miss Potter ✓ Heartwarming, adorable, sweet. Loved it!
I Shot Andy Warhol
Klimt
Basquiat
Downtown 81 ✓
Vincent and Theo
Art School Confidential
The Agony and the Ecstasy
Surviving Picasso
Wolf at the Door
David Hockney: Double Portrait ✓
How to Steal a Million ✓☆ I cannot tell you how many times I’ve actually seen this, it’s one of my favorites!
Modigliani
Artemisia
F is for Fake ✓
Frida
Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock? ✓ Feisty Teri cracks me up, really had me think about provenance and the so called experts.
My Kid Could Paint That ✓ Inspiration or manipulation? A great documentary, a not so great parent pushing the “artist.”
Crumb
In the Realms of the Unreal
How To Draw a Bunny
Great Expectations ✓
Joan Miro – Theatre Of Dreams
Great Women Artists: Georgia O’Keeffe ✓
Richard Tuttle: Never Not an Artist
Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light
Robert Rauschenberg: Inventive Genius
Painters Painting
Valentino: the Last Emperor ✓
The Way Things Go
The Cool School
Who Gets to Call it Art?
Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton
Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye
Henri Cartier-Bresson
William Eggleston in the Real World
The Rape of Europa✓ ☆
Max Ernst
Contacts volumes 1, volume 2, and volume 3
Alfred Stieglitz: The Eloquent Eye
The Way Things Go
Chilhuly: Gardens and Glass ✓
I.M. Pei
My Architect: A Son’s Journey ✓
What About Style?: Alex Katz
Paul Klee: The Silence of the Angel
Rothko’s Rooms
Matisse/Picasso: Twin Giants of Modern Art
Art City: Making it in Manhattan
Art City: Simplicity
Art City: A Ruling Passion
Inspirations
Hockney at the Tate
The Impressionists
The Impressionists: The Other French Revolution
Robert Rauschenberg: Man at Work
Richard Tuttle: Never Not an Artist
The Face: Jesus in Art
Jackson Pollock: Love & Death on Long Island
Norman Rockwell: An American Portrait
Sister Wendy (the complete collection)
Juan Miro: Constellations
D.I.Y. or Die
Mona Lisa Smile ✓
American Splendor
The Thomas Crown Affair 1968, 1999 ✓
At Close Range with National Geographic ✓
Alice Neel
Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story
Andy Goldworthy’s Rivers and Tides
Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision
Beautiful Losers ✓
Art:21
American Experience: Ansel Adams
Helvetica ✓
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens ✓
What Remains: The Life and Work of Sally Mann
Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh
Georgia O’Keefe
Strand: Under the Dark Cloth
Fur
Art of the Steal
Picasso: The Man and His Work
Séraphine
Art Safari
Milton Glaser: To Inform & Delight
Frank Lloyd Wright: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick
Art & Copy: Inside Advertising’s Creative Revolution
Factory Girl
Fur
I have others…thinking. :)
Oh yeah! I was thinking of the Diane Arbus one and forgot it, thanks!… have you seen it? And I never heard anything about Factory Girl, both will be added, wink.
Yes, I’ve seen most of the movies in your list. I loved Fur because I love Arbus and for the shots of the Rolleiflex. ;)
I’ll check my DVD binder and will come back with more recs. xo
Great Expectations
Un Coeur en Hiver (violin makers)
Sirens
Red Shoes? (ballet)
Blow Up
La Belle Noiseuse
Funny Face
Joan Miro – Theatre Of Dreams
Before Night Falls
The Pillow Book
I had a whole bunch more but realize they are more about musicians/composers/writers than artists as in painters/sculptures/photographers. :)
Great! I added some… glad you caught on that I was listing to a specific type of artists, which makes a smaller list – just thinking of writers (think of all the Shakespeare ones!) would beef up the titles quite a lot. And then there are art heist movies…
Pollock
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Vincent and Theo
Basquiat
Surviving Picasso
That is a start.
Oh and the book The Agony and the Ecstasy is so superior to the film!
I already have those, thanks! Do let me know me know if you think of others… ;)
They made a movie of ‘Girl In Hyacynth Blue’ by Susan Vreeland. I LOVE the book and the movie was goood but not great. I think Jane Curtain stared in it and it was filmed in several places in Europe, in beautiful rich color that made it a visual feast!
Not sure how strict your definition of artist is for this, but…
My Architect – Really great documentary, amazing story.
Quills – Dark, but well-done.
How about American Splendor?
I would add Off The Map: one of my favorite films ever, about how New Mexico inspired a man to paint (among other things). And High Art- about a photographer (Alli Sheedy) and her muses (and a bit about drugs too…).
But Joan Allen gives an incredible performance in Off The Map.
Fun watching!
Mona Lisa Smile is not so much about an artist, but it’s still an interesting representation of art education (and the power of modern art, particularly). I just saw Frida for the first time last month, and while it’s completely bizarre (as are most of Julie Taymor’s films), Salma Hayek is amazing. Great list!
Rama & I looked over the list, and he said:
Alice Neel
The Line King
American Splendor
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Pecker
I don’t know if this counts, but my contribution is:
Thomas Crowne Affair (I saw the one starring Remington Steele, and it was very entertaining, I thought)
These are great! Thanks for the suggestions everyone, the list is growing.
Christine, if “How to Steal A Million” makes my list, surely both versions of the “Thomas Crown Affair” should, :)
“the mistral’s daughter”
this one is fiction. but good. enchanting settings and costumes surrounding real historic events- you will love it. it’s long, an epic.
Rivers and Tides – about Andy Goldsworthy
highly recommended
There’s a Maya Lin documentary (I think It’s just titled “Maya Lin”) you can check out from the Seattle Public Library that’s really good. I like her.
Oh, and just because I’m anal, you listed “Alfred Stieglitz: The Eloquent Eye” twice. Tee hee.
Hugs and smooches, Shennie!
You crack me up Amy! List updated, with more titles and one less Stieglitz, giggles. (You have NO idea how absentminded this pregnancy has me…!) xo OH! I ALSO listed “Who Gets to Call it Art?” twice, too. edit… edit…
p.s. Christine & Rama, I just realized that “The Devil and Daniel Johnston” is about the singer from Danielson! Did you guys happen to see the first docu about him? Singing in the tree costume, with Sufjan hanging out backstage? So crazy, :)
Oh my, what a wonderful list you have here, Jenny… There are lots of films in it I want to see as well!!
Btw, I really LOVED “F for Fake”, I saw it on a theater years ago and it’s such an amazing movie. You will love it!
Also, you have to see “El sol del membrillo” from Victor Erice http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105438/ . And And I mean YOU HAVE (con mayúsculas). It’s a must!
ohh, wow! jenny,this list is priceless!
and very comprehensive..when i remember/come across others will definitely come straight back here:)
ps- i agree about rivers and tides, beautiful film
Hi Jenny-
Found your blog somehow when researching things to do in Buenos Aires, where I am now for several months. Last week was the annual film festival here and I was lucky enough to see the documentary “Beautiful Losers”-it should definitely be on your very long list!
Thanks for the reinforcements on the list Fer y Julia!
Julia, I wish that netflix.com had “El sol del membrillo” available… hmm.. will have to track that down!
Erin, Que bien! I just added “Beautiful Losers” per your recommend… gracias. Disfrutalo Buenos Aires!
1000 journals – documentary of the 1000journals.com project
i really liked 1000 journals and also beautiful losers
White orleander !! It always makes me want to pick up a sketch book :+)
Hi Jenny…I would highly recommend some of the ones you already have listed – Basquiat, though it is somewhat of a downer for me, is a pretty good film. The way you describe yourself, I think you’d love Rivers and tides. Ever watched art:21, on pbs? the new season is upon us now, and also check the previous seasons. I also loved the ansel adams documentary from pbs video, very moving. have a good day :)
Thanks Robert – I will put those on the list! I haven’t seen them, so I really appreciate the recommends.
Little Ashes is about the relationship in the 1920s and 1930s between García Lorca,Salvador Dalí, and Luis Buñuel.
i think u ll like it :)
Jenny is such a great list :)
all the best
I am a new High School Art teacher instructing the basics and a little art history- any suggestions on some good movies to inspire? Thanks!
yummmmy:) thx for ur tips i’d love to follow u.anyway happy new year ~~~~~~~~~~~
[...] been faithfully watching movies about art/artists and checking them off the list. Screenshot of the latest seen and added to the list? Helvetica. (Also the typeface of choice [...]
Great list! Theses two films reveal artistic process and access to their personal life:
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through A Lens
What Remains: The Life and Work of Sally Mann
Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann
Sally Mann-”I struggle with enormous discrepancies: between the reality of motherhood and the image of it, between my love for my home and the need to travel, between the varied and seductive paths of the heart. [...] I dig deeply for the spiritual utilities that restore me: my love for the place, for the one man left, for my children and friends and the great green pulse of spring.”
[...] theft is told in the documentary I’m fresh from watching from my Movies about Art & Artists list, called “The Rape of Europa.” I found it to be one of the most riveting, [...]