Art on Bbc

Art historians delve into six decades of the BBC archives. How has television influenced our understanding of the world's greatest artists?

Art historians delve into six decades of the BBC archives. How has television influenced our understanding of the world's greatest artists?

Art historian Dr Janina Ramirez embarks on a journey through six decades of the BBC archives to create a television history of one of the most celebrated figures in art - Leonardo Da Vinci. Ramirez shows how experts and art presenters - from Andrew Graham-Dixon to Fiona Bruce to Kenneth Clarke - have turned to television to bring Leonardo's artwork out of galleries and into our living rooms. Through television they have explored the origins of Leonardo's boundless curiosity, his pioneering use of light and shade, and his remarkable scientific exploration.

Picasso is known as the godfather of modern art. In this programme, art historian David Dibosa explores six decades of BBC archive to discover how television has influenced our understanding of him. David reveals how film-makers have portrayed two different Picassos - the child genius who drew like a master and the adult who rejected his conventional talent in a quest to reflect the world, in ways that shattered all the rules. He also finds that film-makers have long been fascinated by Picasso’s private life. A notorious womaniser, Picasso used his lovers as muses and left behind a trail of broken relationships.

In early history, nudes were gods or heroes. Since then, the nude has often been about sex but also a powerful influence on how we view the body. Art historian Kate Bryan explores six decades of BBC archive to discover how television has influenced our understanding of the nude and how our attitudes have changed. As she examines the archives, Kate finds that while beauty and sexuality are never far away, artists have always used the nude as a vehicle to defy conventions.

Sue Perkins charts the changes in British taste towards domestic art by delving into the stories of contemporary bestsellers and charting the history of post-war prints. She discusses Tretchikoff with Red or Dead founder Wayne Hemmingway, and meets bestselling artists and photographers Jack Vettriano, Mel Allen, Spencer Rowell, Martin Elliot and Sam Toft, as well as discussing the interior design revolution with Habitat founder Terence Conran.

The Art of Germany, the programme will take an in-depth look at the 500-year cultural history of Germany's art scene, which rivalled Italy's Renaissance for its creativity. Split over three 60-minute episodes, presenter Andrew Graham-Dixon will explore the various themes of Germanic art, including landscape, folk lore and national identity. The programme will also look at the work of famed German artists, such as Durer, Holbein, Caspar David Friedrich, Otto Dix, Joseph Beuys and Gerhard Richter. The programme follows previous specials on BBC celebrating the art of Italy, Spain and Russia. "The Art of Germany is a vital addition to BBC Four's The Art Of strand, helping to bring the worlds less familiar artistic and cultural traditions to a wider audience," said Graham-Dixon. "Following two World Wars, there is a tendency to deny German culture the equal reverence of Italy or France, and this enlightening new series provides a wonderful opportunity to explore a great, yet often neglected, artistic tradition whose influence has been just as profound."

Jeremy Paxman takes his love of Victorian paintings as the starting point for a journey into Victorian Britain. Such pictures may not be fashionable today, but they are a goldmine of information about the most dynamic age in British history. He investigates the most dramatic event of Victorian Britain: the explosion of great cities. At first the Victorians feared these new monsters in their midst, but then grew to love and transform them. Jeremy explores the canals and sewers, suburbs and back streets, workhouses and magnificent buildings of the great Victorian city, while also picturing the fun-filled chaos of Derby Day.

Andrew Graham Dixon takes viewers on a stunning visual journey through French art history.