Arts & Literature
Art of Scandinavia
It’s a land without light for months on end, with a reputation for gloom and bleak landscapes that inspired 20th-century existentialism. But, in this BBC Scandinavian art documentary, art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon discovers that while it’s a fitting home for Munch’s The Scream, Scandinavia is also a land of eroticism, fairytales, futuristic thinking and idealism that’s given us bicycle-riding monarchs, Lego and modernist social design.
Art of China
As China’s economic and political influence grows, Chinese art receives greater exposure around the world. But many of its treasures have never been seen in the West. This three-part BBC art history documentary sees historian Andrew Graham-Dixon takes us on an exhilarating odyssey through 3,000 years of art from China. The Terracotta Army to its modern cultural rebirth, it’s a rare insight into the art of China, the history of China as well as modern China.
Art of France
It’s a nation famous for passion, rebellion and beauty. So it’s no surprise that art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon’s three-part documentary about the history of French art is as visually stunning as it is dramatic. This BBC French art history documentary tells a story of blood (King Louis XIV’s), guts (the idealists who overthrew the old rules to define a new revolution in art) and resistance – from the Romantics through to the Impressionists and beyond.
Harry Potter - A History of Magic
From shrieking mandrakes, to sorting hats, to the mystery of ancient Chinese oracle bones, what inspired the world of Harry Potter? Author JK Rowling invites us into her private archive to reveal a trove of delights never before seen by muggles’ eyes.
The World's Greatest Paintings
The stories behind some of the most famous works of art ever devised. Why were these pieces created and what makes them so eternally fascinating? How much did the lives of the artists, and the society and environment they worked in, influence the paintings? Get ready to see truly iconic images in a whole new light with this fascinating art history documentary with Andrew Marr.