Northern Germany

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."