What can art teach us about our relationship with nature?

In this groundbreaking arts documentary, BBC Select explores the often complex relationship that human beings have with the natural world. Taking a unique approach, Dr James Fox uses art as evidence of our developing attitudes towards nature across the globe and throughout history, from prehistory to the present.
Can culture help to explain our evolving relationship with nature?
Watch Nature And Us: A History Through Art and more acclaimed documentaries on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.
More documentaries you might like...

Wonderland: Lewis Carroll to JRR Tolkien
Why were so many enduring classic children’s books written in the same 60-year period?

The Art Of Japanese Life
The mysterious and remarkable art and culture of Japan is explored and explained.

Antiques Roadshow
What treasures will be found as antique experts appraise the public’s heirlooms?

The Art of Gothic
Why were Brits in the 19th-century obsessed with art that was horrific, macabre and weird?

Gauguin: The Full Story
Why was the life of influential artist Paul Gauguin mired in controversy and conflict?

The Body Beautiful: Ancient Greeks, Good Looks and Glamour
Why were the Ancient Greeks so preoccupied with images concerning the naked human form?

Confucius
The remarkable story of a great thinker who helped to form a nation and shape the world.

Van Gogh: Painted with Words
Powerful docudrama exploring the work and passions of Vincent Van Gogh

The Genius of Carl Faberge
Would you spend $100 million on eggs? You might if they were Faberge.

The High Art of the Low Countries
Size doesn’t matter. How one small region spawned the greatest artists of all time.

The Art of Spain
Territory, politics and religious conflict: the untold history of Spain’s cultural legacy.

Simon Schama's Shakespeare and Us
Get underneath the skin of the playwright to understand why his stories are so relevant today

War Art with Eddie Redmayne
Academy Award winning actor Eddie Redmayne discovers the artists who saved lives during WW1

Write Around the World
Revisit your favourite reads with Academy Award nominee Richard E. Grant

Harry Potter - A History of Magic
They’re the fastest-selling books in history. But what inspired the enchanting world of Harry Potter?

The World's Greatest Paintings
What makes a particular artwork an iconic masterpiece? Andrew Marr investigates.

The Impressionists
Who were the Impressionists and what fueled their desire to alter the direction of art?

Vincent: The Full Story
What do we really know about Vincent van Gogh, arguably the world’s most famous artist?

The Art Mysteries
Think you know these works by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Seurat? Think again.

The Story of Women and Art
Restless, resistant and radical. How female artists transformed art from the outside

The Romantic Revolution
Wild visionaries and imaginative truth seekers whose radical ideas still resonate today.

Grayson Perry's Art Club
Artist Grayson Perry releases a torrent of quarantine-creativity in his lockdown art club.
Natural History Documentaries
The best of the BBC’s nature, wildlife, and science shows.

Eden: Untamed Planet
Discover the secrets of Earth's few remaining untouched lands, all brimming with life.

Great Barrier Reef
Exploring the wonder of the Great Barrier Reef, the planet’s largest living structure.

Earthflight
Experience
a bird's eye view of six continents in this spectacular nature
documentary.

North Atlantic: The Dark Ocean
Explore the mesmerizing, iconic marine life of the forbidding North Atlantic.

Our Coast
The spectacular coastlines around the British Isles and the people who call them home.

Penguins: Meet the Family
A stunning celebration of one of the most iconic and loved birds on Earth: the penguin.

The Great Rift: Africa's Wild Heart
East Africa's Great Rift Valley is home to the largest concentration of animals on Earth.

The Sanctuary: Survival Stories of The Alps
An amazing survival story following the adventures of a she-wolf as she crosses the Alps.

Wild Arabia
Arabia is a land of magic and surprise with incredible wildlife, landscapes and people.

Wild Brazil: The Land of Fire and Blood
An intimate portrait of animals raising families in a spectacular yet perilous country.

Wild Thailand
Discover a sacred kingdom of inspiring beauty, packed with wildlife and natural wonder.

Wild Kingdom
A portrait of the spectacular, dynamic nature of Britain over the course of one year.

Wonders of Life
Brian Cox investigates the most complex and unique feature of our universe: life.

Yellowstone
Follow a year in Yellowstone, one of the most extraordinary wildernesses on Earth.

Zoo Quest In Colour
Relive David Attenborough's breakthrough nature documentary, restored in stunning colour.

The Mighty Mekong's Last Hope
The Mekong River has nourished civilizations in Asia for millennia. Now it's drying up.

Search For The Last Unicorn
An expedition team go into war-torn South Sudan searching for the Northern White Rhino.

Louis Theroux Interviews... Bear Grylls
Louis Theroux spends time with adventurer and television presenter Bear Grylls.

Earth's Great Seasons
The astonishing natural transformations that accompany the changing of Earth's seasons.

David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities
Wildlife legend David Attenborough encounters some of the planet’s oddest inhabitants.

Life on Earth
The landmark natural history series presented by the legendary David Attenborough.

Natural World Vol 2
Witness incredible animal stories from around the world in this legendary wildlife series.

Mediterranean: Life Under Siege
The stunning Mediterranean ocean is under threat. What can be done to save it?

Secrets Of The Bermuda Triangle
Exploring the planet’s most notorious and mysterious body of water: the Bermuda Triangle.

Jungle Atlantis
An archaeological team in Cambodia discover an incredible, mysterious lost metropolis.

Poaching Wars with Tom Hardy
Actor Tom Hardy is in Africa to investigate the poaching of rhinos and elephants

Wild Weather: Our World Under Threat
Is climate change leading to ‘freak’ weather events becoming more frequent and intense?

History of Mother Earth: Gaia Uncovered
In space, you can hear the Earth scream... History of Mother Earth: Gaia Uncovered

Australia on Fire: Climate Emergency
Are the recent apocalyptic bushfires in Australia a vision of a climate change future?

The Last Igloo
Can one man survive in the wilderness using traditional methods to hunt and find shelter?
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