Arts & Literature
The Art of Gothic
This BBC Select art history documentary spends some time down in the dungeon as it delves into the world of the Gothic.
Acclaimed art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon explores how a group of 19th-century architects and artists spurned the modern age and turned to Britain’s medieval past to create iconic works and buildings with a distinctly creepy edge.
But what attracted them to the dark side?
Confucius
Over 2,500 years ago, one man devised a way of thinking that still shapes the most powerful and populous nation on earth.
He was Confucius, one of history’s most influential men. But who was he and why do billions of people still follow his teachings?
This stunning documentary explores the life and times of Confucius and demystifies his ideas. We all want to understand China and through Confucius we can.
The Art of Spain
Italy and northern Europe’s art legacies are legendary. But what about Spain?
In this absorbing and original three-part Spanish art documentary series, critic and historian Andrew Graham-Dixon goes on the road to reveal the fabulous art treasures of this country.
He explores some of Europe’s most important artists, from Renaissance to Modernist – including Goya, Picasso, Dalí, El Greco and Velázquez.
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 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.