The Museum of Modern Art

About The Museum of Modern Art

The videos below can be seen on Smarthistory because The Museum of Modern Art generously makes their videos available for distribution.

Constantin Brancusi, Mlle Pogany — When this portrait of the artist’s friend went on display, it was lampooned by the press. Incomprehensible!

A-Level: Constantin Brancusi, Mlle Pogany

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Street, Berlin — Kirchner’s claustrophobic city scene reflects on a culture where everything is for sale.

A-Level: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Street, Berlin

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A-level: Art Terms in Action—Paint

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A-level: Art Terms in Action—Tint, Shade, and ...

Matisse lived with his cut-out pool until his death. See how its conservators are preserving it for future viewers.

Henri Matisse: Conserving The Swimming Pool

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The Painting Techniques of Mark Rothko: No. ...

Mark Rothko, No. 16 (Red, Brown, and Black), 1958. Oil on canvas, 8' 10 5/8" x 9' 9 1/4" (The Museum of Modern Art) — Rothko wanted his paintings hung as low as possible, so the viewer could enter the painting.

Mark Rothko (at MoMA)

Richard Serra, Band — Serra’s sculpture creates new spaces within the architecture of the room.

Richard Serra, Band

Richard Serra, Torqued Ellipse IV — Inspired by a misinterpretation of a Renaissance church in Rome, this sculpture pushed the limits of technology.

Richard Serra, Torqued Ellipse IV

Richard Serra, "Intersection II" — Serra guides you through his sculpture in the garden of MOMA.

Richard Serra, Intersection II

James Rosenquist, F-111 — This war machine seemed obsolete before it was finished; Rosenquist explains why he painted it with SpaghettiOs.

James Rosenquist, F-111

The Painting Techniques of Barnett Newman — Newman called the lines in his paintings “zips.” Learn how they’re made and how they work.

The Painting Techniques of Barnett Newman

Barnett B. Newman, Onement I, 1948 at MoMA — What separates Newman’s paintings from what a house painter paints?

Barnett Newman

How to paint like Ad Reinhardt — How does Reinhardt make his “black paintings” with no black at all?

The Painting Techniques of Ad Reinhardt

people viewing Ad Reinhardt at MoMA — Be patient! From the depths of Reinhardt’s black canvases, color and shapes emerge.

Ad Reinhardt

How to paint like Franz Kline, video still (MoMA) — Kline’s gallerist broke into his studio and replaced cheap paint with fine art paint—but Kline didn’t thank him.

The Painting Techniques of Franz Kline

Franz Kline detail from MoMA video — Abstract Expressionists are sometimes thought of as solitary figures—Kline wasn’t.

Franz Kline

Conserving Jackson Pollock MoMA — Radiography and historic photographs helped conservators uncover what this painting looked like before restoration.

Conservation: Jackson Pollock, One: Number 31, 1950

Pollock drew in space with thin, industrially-produced paints over a canvas on the floor—learn how!

The Painting Techniques of Jackson Pollock

Piet Mondrian, Composition in Brown and Gray — […]

Piet Mondrian, Composition in Brown and Gray