Caravaggio; Palladio: Venetian Palazzos & Villas; Titian: The Venetian Colorist

These three programs, the first three entries in The European Video Library Art Series profile a trio of Renaissance artists: the painters Caravaggio and Titian, and the architect Palladio. Each program follows a roughly chronological portrait of the artist, with generous samplings of his work, and insightful commentary about the social milieu in which each flourished. Caravaggio is the most interesting of the trio in that his short life (1571-1610) ended with an explosive period of high living and brawling, culminating in his murdering a man, and then being chased across Italy by the Knights of Malta. Known primarily for his full-bodied self-portraits, Caravaggio's homoerotic tendencies are clearly on display in his paintings, yet are strangely unaddressed by the narration. Titian, on the other hand, had nowhere near as colorful (at least personally) a life, but truly mastered the uses of color and light and produced brilliant works well past his 80th year. Palladio is primarily known for his scholarly approach to architecture, resurrecting classical forms (columns, statues, etc.) in strikingly new architectural compositions. Formerly the "Trecanni" series, these new entries from Academic and Entertainment Video share the same handsome attention to packaging. Recommended. (Available from: Academic and Entertainment Video, 10B Engelhard Ave., Avenel, NJ 07001.)