Great Art - Episode Guide

The series opens with an episode dedicated to The Royal Collection Trust's unparalleled collection of works by Venice's famous view-painter Canaletto. Stepping inside the royal residences of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, it reveals how the world's largest Canaletto collection made its home in Britain. The episode also captures the essence and allure of Venice, embarking on a 21st century Grand Tour to reveal how Canaletto's art was influenced by the great Italian city.

Monet, Cézanne, Degas, Renoir: some of the world's most popular artists. Their works, and that of their contemporaries, fetch tens of millions of dollars around the globe. But who were they really? Why & how exactly did they paint? What lies behind their enduring appeal?

The spectacular sculptures and paintings of Michelangelo seem so familiar to us, but what do we really know about this Renaissance genius? Who was this ambitious and passionate man?

A virtuoso craftsman, Michelangelo's artistry is evident in everything he touched. Beautiful and diverse works such as the towering statue of David, the deeply moving Pietà in the Papal Basilica of St. Peter and his tour-de-force, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, still leave us breathless today.

Spanning his 89 years, Michelangelo: Love and Death takes a cinematic journey from the print and drawing rooms of Europe, through the great chapels and museums of Florence, Rome and the Vatican to explore the tempestuous life of Michelangelo.

We go in search of a greater understanding of this most charismatic figure, his relationship with his contemporaries and his valuable artistic legacy. Through expert commentary and Michelangelo's own words, this film takes a fresh look at an enigmatic man whose life is celebrated in every mark and every stroke he made.

A giant artistic force and universally loved, the film illustrates why Michelangelo is without a doubt one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance – and perhaps of all time.

Every Rembrandt exhibition is eagerly anticipated, but a once-in-a-lifetime show at London's National Gallery and Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum that took 15 years to prepare was remarkable. With exclusive and privileged access to both galleries, this film documents this landmark exhibition while interweaving Rembrandt's life story with behind-the-scenes preparations at these world-famous institutions. Rembrandt is the greatest artist that ever lived to many, and this film seeks to explore the truth.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer is one of the most enduring paintings in the history of art.Even today, a recent world tour of the painting provoked huge queues lining up for the briefest glimpse of its majestic beauty – in Japan 1.2 million people came to see the exhibition.Yet the painting itself is surrounded by mystery.This film seeks to investigate the many unanswered questions associated with this mysterious artwork.Who was this girl? Why and how was it painted? Why is it so revered? After its world tour, the Girl with a Pearl Earring returned to the much-loved Mauritshuis in The Hague, Netherlands, which had just completed extensive renovations.Enjoying unparalleled exclusive access to this historical gallery, the film takes the audience on a journey through the masterpieces of the gallery using key works to help answer many of the questions surrounding this enigmatic painting and its mysterious creator Vermeer.

Widely considered Britain's most popular artist, David Hockney is a global sensation with exhibitions in London, New York, Paris and beyond, attracting millions of visitors worldwide. Now entering his ninth decade Hockney shows absolutely no evidence of slowing down or losing his trademark boldness.Featuring intimate and in-depth interviews with Hockney himself, this revealing documentary captures the voice of the artist. Spread out over five years, focusing on two blockbuster exhibitions held in 2012 and 2016 at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, this award-winning documentary demonstrates the creativity and output of a prolific artist who never shies from engaging with modern technologies showing that even art on an iPad can be simply fantastic in the hands of a great artist. It's the unpredictability of Hockney that contributes to his uniqueness. Director Phil Grabsky secured privileged access to craft this cinematic celebration of a 21st- century master of creativity.

Vincent van Gogh's life has long captured the imagination, shrouded in myth and misunderstanding, but who was he really? Delving deep into his fascinating and sometimes deeply troubled world comes this definitive, award-winning documentary directed by David Bickerstaff. Vincent van Gogh: A New Way of Seeing seeks the truth about Van Gogh. What better way to discover the real Van Gogh than through his art? Showcasing his iconic works and featuring extensive access to Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum – along with illuminating letters that capture his most revealing and moving moments – this remarkable documentary brings to life arguably the world's favourite artist and reminds us, in Van Gogh's own words, that ‘Art is long and life is short'.*Just who really was Vincent van Gogh? David Bickerstaff's award-winning documentary delves deep into his fascinating and troubled world. Featuring exclusive access to the Van Gogh Museum, the film brings to life the world's favourite artist.

After 500 years Bosch's paintings still fascinate us but what inspired these strange and fantastical paintings? Featuring an extraordinary popular exhibition which brought almost all of Bosch's work together for the first and last time, this film offers some answers.

At a landmark exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, presenter Tim Marlow looks at one of the all-time great artists, Edouard Manet. The film shows behind-the-scenes moments of the exhibition as well as a detailed biography of Manet's life.

The Artist's Garden: American Impressionism

Directed by Phil Grabsky and narrated by Gillian Anderson.Inspired by the great French masters, including Renoir and Monet, the American Impressionist movement followed its own path which over a forty-year period reveals as much about America as a nation as it does about its art.It's a story closely tied to a love of gardens and a desire to preserve nature in a rapidly urbanizing nation. These gardens provided unlimited inspiration for artists and a never-ending oasis for the growing middle class. As America forged its economic world domination, the pioneering American impressionists crafted a sumptuous visual language that told their story of the era.Travelling to studios, gardens and iconic locations throughout the United States, UK and France – including the sell-out exhibition that began at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and ended at the Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, Connecticut – this mesmerising documentary from director Phil Grabsky is a feast for the eyes. Narrated by Gillian Anderson The Artist's Garden: American Impressionism unravels the history of American artists who flocked to the French village of Giverny, home to the master impressionist Claude Monet, and cheered the French new wave: painting outdoors with a new found brilliance and vitality. Then they took their new skills home and changed American art for ever.

Short synopsis

Gillian Anderson narrates a fascinating film about the rise and fall of the American Impressionists. Their path reveals much about America and its art history. Travelling to the USA, UK and France, this mesmerising film is a feast for the eyes.

Last in Series

Pablo Picasso is one of the greatest artists of all time – and right up until his death in 1973 he was the most prolific of artists. Many films have dealt with these later years – the art, the affairs and the wide circle of friends. But where did this all begin? What made Picasso in the first place? Too long ignored, it is time to look at the early years of Picasso; the upbringing and the learning that led to his extraordinary achievements. Three cities played a key role: Málaga, Barcelona and Paris. Young Picasso visits each and explores their influence on Picasso, focusing on specific artworks from these early years – up to the ground-breaking and hugely significant Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Working closely with Picasso museums in Málaga, Barcelona and Paris this film explains how he rose to such great heights.

Discover Spain's celebrated artist with this cinematic tour de force based on the National Gallery's blockbuster exhibition Goya: The Portraits. Francisco Goya is considered the father of modern art. He was a brilliant observer of everyday life and took the genre of portraiture to new heights. The film uses the exhibition to look in depth at Goya's eventful life and, through extensive location footage and Goya's revealing letters, the film builds a fascinating portrait of the painter and the extraordinary world he painted. Royalty, aristocrats, politicians and close friends were subjected to his highly modern approach that captured rapid changes of expression, gesture and emotion. Goya's powerful vision and technical brilliance makes him one of the most admired and revered artists in the world today and indeed among the greatest painters to have ever lived.

In 2013, all of Norway celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of Edvard Munch, one of the towering figures of modern art.

This was hailed a "once-in-a-lifetime show". Global interest was huge – not least as a result of one of his four The Scream paintings having recently set a public art auction record of $120 million. Many only know Munch as the man who painted The Scream but his complete works are remarkable and secure his place as one of the greatest artists in history. Munch 150 was co-hosted by the National Museum and the Munch Museum, both in Oslo. With 220 paintings on show, it brought together the greatest number of Munch's key works in one place. This film goes behind-the-scenes to show the process of putting the exhibition together as well as providing an in-depth biography of a man who lived from the mid-19th century right through to the German occupation of Norway in the Second World War.

Featuring interviews with curators and experts from the National Portrait Gallery London, MoMA New York, National Gallery of Art Washington, and Musée d'Orsay Paris as well as correspondence from the artist himself, the film takes audiences beyond the exhibition to the places in which Cézanne lived and worked, throwing new light on the life and work of this hugely influential artist.

In this little-known story of Van Gogh's art we see just how important his study of Japan was. The film travels not only to France and the Netherlands but also to Japan to further explore the remarkable heritage that so affected Van Gogh and made him the artist we know of today.

Monet's life is a gripping tale about a man who, behind his sun-dazzled canvases, suffered from feelings of depression and loneliness.

However, as his art developed and his love of gardening led to the glories of his Giverny garden, his humour, insight and love of life are revealed.

Told through Monet's own words and shot on location at the very spots he painted, the film features his most loved paintings in an unforgettable, immersive art experience.

The National Gallery, London, offered a fresh look at one of the most startling and fascinating artists of all – Johannes Vermeer. The National Gallery chose to focus on Vermeer's relationship with music. It is one of the most popular themes of Dutch painting and reveals an enormous amount about the sitter and the society they lived in. New research, revealed for the first time at this exhibition, showed how his technique and materials affected Vermeer's works.

Tim Marlow goes beyond the exhibition to tell the entire story of Vermeer's life and, in doing so, shows in detail many other of the artist's captivating works. For those inspired by the 2003 film, Girl with a Pearl Earring, starring Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson, this new, cinematic exploration will take their enjoyment and fascination of Vermeer's life and work to a new level.

Tim Marlow goes behind the scenes at Tate Modern's Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs, one of the most successful exhibitions in the museum's history. Featuring contributions from Tate director Nicholas Serota and MoMA director Glenn D Lowry, as well as curators, historians and people who knew the artist personally.

Tim Marlow explores the extreme positive and negative reactions to Renoir's changing style, examining some of the 181 paintings held at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. The film reveals how his new direction was an influence on Picasso and Matisse, making it a vital turning point in the development of art between the 19th and 20th centuries.