Video Documentaries

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn Rembrandt's success in his early years was as a portrait painter to the rich denizens of Amsterdam at a time when the city was being transformed from a small nondescript port into the economic capital of the world. His historical and religious paintings also gave him wide acclaim. Despite being known as a portrait painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn used his talent to push the boundaries of painting. This direction made him unpopular in the later years of his career as he shifted from being the talk of the town to becoming adrift in the Amsterdam art scene and criticised by his peers.   Power of Art episode 3 The power of the greatest art is the power to shake us into revelation and rip us from our default mode of seeing. After an encounter with that force, we don't look at a face, a colour, a sky, a body, in quite the same way again. We get fitted with new sight: in-sight. Visions of beauty or a rush of intense pleasure are part of that proces...

Historian Tim Marlow explores the life and work of 17th-century visionary Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, who was famed for his skilful handling of light and shade in paintings portraying the human form.  Born in Leiden in 1606, the eighth of nine children, his passion for art led him to an apprenticeship with a local painter, and from the time he was a 19-year-old he had a studio in Amsterdam, where he produced 75 self-portraits. Demand for his talents soon grew and success came when he was commissioned to paint The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Tulp. Great Artists This major 26-part series takes a fresh look at the most important artworks of some of the greatest artists in history. Shot on location in over fifty museums, churches and palaces throughout Europe and the United States, this series is a comprehensive survey of the history of Western art. Both intelligent and informative, it's the perfect introduction to the art of the Old Masters. This set contains all 26 episode...

Great Art: Rembrandt - 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. To many Rembrandt is the greatest artist that ever lived, and this film seeks to explore the truth.   Great Art: Rembrandt - Early life and training Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born in Leiden in the Netherlands in 1606. His father was a miller, comfortably off and able to send Rembrandt to the town's Latin School. At the age of 14, Rembrandt began studying at the famous University of Leiden (unusual for a miller's son), but academic life did not suit him. After a few months he left to begin an apprenticeship as a painter. Leiden did not offer mu...