art history

Civilisations episode 6

Civilisations episode 6 – First Contact

In the 15th and 16th centuries distant and disparate cultures met, often for the first time. These encounters provoked wonder, awe, bafflement and fear. And, as historian of empire David Olusoga shows, art was always on the frontline. Each cultural contact at this time left a mark on both sides: the magnificent Benin bronzes record the meeting of an ancient […]

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Civilisations episode 5

Civilisations episode 5 – The Triumph of Art

Think Renaissance and you think Italy. But in the 15th and 16th centuries the great Islamic empires experienced their own extraordinary cultural flowering. The two phenomena did not unfold in separate artistic universes; they were acutely conscious of, and in competition with, each other and mutually open to influences flowing both ways.     The fifth film in Civilisations goes

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Civilisations episode 3

Civilisations episode 3 – Picturing Paradise

In Civilisations episode 3, Simon Schama explores one of our deepest artistic urges – the depiction of nature. Simon discovers that landscape painting is seldom a straightforward description of observed nature – rather it is a projection of dreams and idylls, as well as of escapes and refuges from human turmoil, the elusive paradise on earth.     Simon begins

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Civilisations episode 2

Civilisations episode 2 – How Do We Look?

In Civilisations episode 2, Professor Mary Beard explores images of the human body in ancient art, from Mexico and Greece to Egypt and China. Mary seeks answers to fundamental questions at the heart of ideas about civilisations. Why have human beings always made art about themselves? What were these images for? And in what ways do some ancient conventions of

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Civilisations episode 1

Civilisations episode 1 – The Second Moment of Creation

Civilisations episode 1 – The Second Moment of Creation: the first film by Simon Schama looks at the formative role art and the creative imagination have played in the forging of humanity itself.     The Second Moment of Creation The film opens with Simon’s passionate endorsement of the creative spirit in humanity and the way in which art can

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French Revolution

The French Revolution: Tearing up History

A journey through the dramatic and destructive years of the French Revolution, telling its history in a way not seen before – through the extraordinary story of its art. Our guide through this turbulent decade is the constantly surprising Dr Richard Clay, an art historian who has spent his life decoding the symbols of power and authority.     Dr

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Treasures of Ancient Rome

The Treasures of Ancient Rome [ 3 parts]

Alastair Sooke takes an in-depth look at the art of the Roman Empire. The Romans were brilliant engineers and soldiers, but what isn’t as well known is that they also gave us wonderful artistic treasures. Treasures of Ancient Rome part 1     In this three-part series, Alastair Sooke argues that the old-fashioned view that the Romans didn’t do art

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Vermeer

Great Art: Vermeer

Girl with a Pearl Earring’ by Johannes Vermeer is one of the most enduring paintings in the history of art, but despite its popularity, the painting itself is surrounded by mystery. Who was this girl, why and how was it painted, and why is it so revered? This film takes us on a journey through the masterpieces of the extensively-renovated

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Art of China

Art of China

Andrew Graham-Dixon combines an appreciation of Chinese art with a journey of discovery around the country, seeking to understand the works in their historical context.

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