The documentary Treasures of Ancient Greece episode 1 reveals that the journey to artistic perfection, long defined by the West, began not with the familiar white marble temples of Athens, but in a far older, stranger world of myth and monsters.
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Alastair Sooke reveals the astonishing range of our medieval sculpture, from the imposing masterpieces of our Gothic cathedrals to the playful misericords underneath church stalls. The Golden Ages of British Sculpture episode 1 – Masons of God He shows how sculpture casts a new light on medieval Britain, a far more sophisticated, fun-loving and maverick place than we in the modern world commonly believe. But despite the technical and emotional power of these works, the notion of a ‘sculptor’ didn’t even exist; most carving of the time was done by teams of itinerant masons and artisans working
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Masterpieces of Sculpture- this award-winning series reveals the full and fascinating stories behind famous works of art, not just how they were created, but also how they influenced others and came to have a life of their own in the modern world. Whereas other volumes in the series hone in on famous tableaux, this particular volume focuses on famous sculptures. Masterpieces of Sculpture – Michelangelo’s David  This episode reveals the techniques Michelangelo used to re-create the human body so accurately on such a vast scale, and how contrasting interpretations view it as a symbol of either
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Modern Art – A Complete Guide is a film using rare and unique footage of artists working in their studios and commenting on their work, including Chagall, Moore, Dali, De Kooning, Matisse, Picasso, Giacometti, Duchamp and Pollock.  An unprecedented film by Academy Award winner Herbert Kline detailing the revolution in art instigated by Cezanne that became MODERN ART. Features rare and unique footage of great modern artists in their studios creating and explaining their work with narration and illuminating commentary by Orson Welles. Visits the great collection at The Louvre, the Guggenheim. Illustrates the growth and dynamism
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An artist with an exuberant imagination, a painter of the most extraordinay gardens and terrifying hells, a respected public figures of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, and a man of faith – Hieronymus Bosch is certainly the most fascinating and mysterious artist of the Renaissance.  This film sheds light on this forerunner of Surrealism and on his approach. The paintings are brought to life, to help us decipher the symbols and place them in the context of the time, based on the most recent historical research. Hieronymus Bosch Hieronymus Bosch – born Jheronimus van Aken; c. 1450 – 9
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The story of probably the most renowned painting in the world. A work three years in the making, Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper remains one of the greatest masterpieces of all time. Even over 500 years after the painting was completed, this piece remains one of the most studied paintings in history.  The Private Life of a Masterpiece – The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci depicts the dramatic moment when Christ tells his disciples that one of them will betray him. From it’s creation in 1495, the
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The Riviera – A History in Pictures, two-part sun-filled series in which Richard E Grant follows in the footsteps of artists who have lived, loved and painted on France’s glorious Cote d’Azur. The Riviera – A History in Pictures part 1 :Â Painting Paradise Revealing the intertwined relationship between modern art and the development of the French Riviera as an international tourist haven, Grant explores how Impressionist painters Cezanne, Monet and Renoir first discovered the region in the 19th century when the newly built railway arrived there. Captivated by the light and colour of this undiscovered landscape, the painters
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John McCarthy examines the art of faith – the art of religions, journeying across the globe in search of great temples, churches and sacred sites. The three hour-long films, presented and narrated by the broadcaster John McCarthy, visit many of the greatest and most significant religious buildings of the world. Each hour-long episode is a high-definition visual experience. Divine in form, sacred buildings are amongst the most beautiful and enduring achievements of mankind. Art of Faith part 1 –Â Hinduism John McCarthy explores the art and architecture of the Asian religions, beginning in India with the colouful erotic carvings
The Art That Made Mexico: Paradise, Power and Prayers , artist Alinka Echeverria explores the three major forces – nature, power and faith – that have shaped Mexican art, and Mexico itself. Alinka Echeverria reveals the way in which Mexican artists shook off European artistic influence to find a distinctive voice, expressed through landscape painting, and reconnected with pre-Hispanic subject matter. The Art that Made Mexico Part 1 – Paradise The murals of Teotihuacan and illustrated Aztec codices show how nature was the reference point for their worldview, their power structures and their calendars. But following the
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The Art of Russia is a series in which art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon tells the incredible story of Russian art – its mystery and magnificence – and until now a story untold on British television. The Art of Russia Part 1: Out of the Forest He explores the origins of the Russian icon from its roots in Byzantium and the first great Russian icon, Our Lady of Vladimir to the masterpieces of the country’s most famous icon painter, Andrei Rublev. Both epic and awe-inspiring, and producing brilliant art, nevertheless medieval Russia could be a terrifying place. Criss-crossing the
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Documentary in which Ros Savill, former director and curator at the Wallace Collection, tells the story of some incredible and misunderstood objects – the opulent, intricate, gold-crested and often much-maligned Sevres porcelain of the 18th century. Ros brings us up close to a personal choice of Sevres masterpieces in the Wallace Collection, viewing them in intricate and intimate detail. She engages us with the beauty and brilliance in the designs, revelling in what is now often viewed as unfashionably pretty or ostentatious. These objects represent the unbelievable skills of 18th-century France, as well as the desires and demands
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In Civilisations episode 9, Simon Schama begins Civilisations with this premise: that it is in art – the play of the creative imagination – that humanity expresses its most essential self: the power to break the tyranny of the humdrum, the grind of everyday. Art, then, makes life worth living; it is the great window into human potential. And societies become civilised to the extent that they take culture as seriously as the prosecution of power, or the accumulation of wealth. But in the century of total war and industrial slaughter was (and is) that enough? The cause
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