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 in the 10th century, in Song dynasty China. The Song's scrolls are never innocent of the values of that world…

Civilisations episode 1

Post category:Art
Post author:HDclump
Post published:March 4, 2018
Reading time:2 mins read

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 help to forge the civilised life. Civilisation may be impossible to define, but its opposite - evidenced throughout history in…

French Revolution

Post category:Art History
Post author:HDclump
Post published:February 24, 2018
Reading time:2 mins read

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 Clay has always been fascinated by vandalism and iconoclasm, and believes much of the untold story of the French Revolution…

Treasures of Ancient Rome

Post category:Art
Post author:HDclump
Post published:February 22, 2018
Reading time:3 mins read

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 is nonsense. He traces how the Romans during the Republic went from being art thieves and copycats to pioneering a…

Johannes Vermeer

Post category:Art
Post author:HDclump
Post published:February 21, 2018
Reading time:2 mins read

Johannes Vermeer, Beyond Time

Plunge into Johannes Vermeer world and rediscover this enigmatic master. One of the best known yet most mysterious painters of all time, he astonishingly ended up in oblivion. His work, reflecting everyday life in the 17th Century, has gained international recognition, despite only 37 paintings left behind. But who was this man, always portrayed as a solitary, who remained anonymous in his own day? Discover the world of Vermeer, at times of economic boom and creative frenzy, in…