Understanding Art

Hollywood directors have drawn inspiration from airy baroque paintings of the 17th century, while Elvis Presley’s coif owes a debt to rococo’s freewheeling 18th-century aesthetic. In companion documentaries, art critic Waldemar Januszczak takes a wild ride across Europe to show how these diverse but equally powerful art movements continue to reverberate today.

Masterworks under the microscope View masterpieces as you've never seen them before This exceptional series documents the Louvre's study days, in which works by five major artists–Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Watteau, and Poussin–were collected together, removed from their frames, and set on easels, replicating the feel of an artist's studio. Curators, historians, restorers, and scientists from around the world came to examine and discuss them in total freedom. Looking through their eyes and listening in on their conversations, we observe the restorations, repairs, and often capricious changes made over the centuries. From up close, we see the faint lines where the artist changed his mind, witness how time has ravaged the canvases, and debate the evidence that a master painted a particular work. Engaging animations explain and simplify complex language and concepts. By revealing what isn't meant to be seen, this fascinating series shows that art is more than meets the eye.