The Private Life of a Masterpiece
Season 4
The series reveals the full and fascinating stories behind famous works of art, not just how they came to be created, but also how they influenced others and came to have a life of their own in the modern world.
Where to Watch The Private Life of a Masterpiece • Season 4
5 Episodes
- Katsushika Hokusai: The Great Wave
E1Katsushika Hokusai: The Great WaveArguably the most recognisable image in Far Eastern art, this Japanese magnum opus is an accurate portrayal of the waves sailors swore they had encountered, despite universal scepticism. One of a series of wood-block prints begun in the 1820s by Katsushika Hokusai , then in his 70s, The Great Wave has a fascinating history that speaks volumes in the 21st century. - Edgar Degas: The Little Dancer
E2Edgar Degas: The Little DancerThe statue of the young girl in a real ballet dress is often seen today just as a pretty image of dancer making one of the classic moves of ballet. But to the people who first saw the statue when it was unveiled it was a dangerous, even disgraceful, portrayal of a degenerate girl little more than a whore. - Vincent Van Gogh: The Sunflowers
E3Vincent Van Gogh: The SunflowersViewed as one of the most famous works of art in the world, few people know the history behind Vincent Van Gogh 's painting. Inspired by a bunch of flowers that the artist found lying in the gutter, Sunflowers became a personal favourite of the Dutch artist. A favourite so much that ten versions of the original were made, the first of which helped to form a fruitful yet ultimately fraught relationship with fellow artist Paul Gauguin. Revealing these stories and how Van Gogh 's passion for sunflowers followed him all the way to the grave, this documentary also looks to explain the enduring popularity behind the piece. - Pablo Picasso: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon
E4Pablo Picasso: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon"My Brothel" is the title Pablo Picasso gave to his depiction of five prostitutes - a painting that shocked even his friends when they first saw it. But how did the piece arise from a rivalry between Picasso and Matisse? What influences did Picasso draw on for his allegory of sex and death? And why does it remain revolutionary to this day? - James McNeill Whistler: Portrait of the Painter's Mother
E5James McNeill Whistler: Portrait of the Painter's MotherWhistler's portrait of his elderly Puritan mother is one of the most satirised paintings of all time. Yet when his sombre masterpiece was first unveiled, it was seen as a radical departure from the sentimental images beloved of the Victorians, and which Whistler loathed. How did the portrait, born of Whistler's complex relationship with his mother, change the course of painting so drastically?
