Video Documentaries

Journalist Alastair Sooke sets out to discover just how much the artist Henri Matisse has influenced our modern lives. Tracing the biography of this fascinating artist, and travelling through France, America and Russia, the programme explores some of the painter's greatest works. Sooke explains why Matisse's art is considered so great and also looks at how Matisse's brilliant use of colour and simplification of form continues to inspire illustrators, designers and of course artists today. Acknowledging the debt the famous couturier Yves St Laurent owed the painter, Sooke also talks to British designers Sir Paul Smith and Tricia Guild about their passion for Matisse, he travels to Utrecht to discover how even children's character Miffy the rabbit owes its origin to art, and reveals how logos and images as diverse as Apple's iPod advertising and even the 2012 Olympic logo are inspired by the modern master. Modern Masters - Matisse episode 2 Henri Émile Benoît Matisse

Art experts attempt to recreate Caravaggio's 17th century masterpiece The Adoration, which was stolen from the Oratory of San Lorenzo in Palermo, Italy, on 18 October 1969.     Mystery of the Lost Paintings ep. 7 - Mystery of the Lost Caravaggio The Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence (also known as The Adoration) is a painting believed to have been created in 1609 by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio. Recent discoveries link the painting to that commissioned by Fabio Nuti in April 1600, and thus sent from Rome to Palermo. It was stolen on October 18, 1969 from the Oratorio di San Lorenzo in Palermo, Sicily. The painting, which hung above the altar, was large, measuring almost six square metres (actual size 268 cm x 197 cm). Probably because of its size, it was removed from its frame by the thief or thieves (two suspected) before being taken out of the church. After it was stolen, the Oratory was pillaged of other art, along with choir stalls of carved and gilded wood

Art experts attempt to make a perfect replica of Franz Marc's expressionist work The Tower of Blue Horses, which disappeared following the collapse of Nazi Germany.   Mystery of the Lost Paintings ep. 7 - Mystery of the Lost Marc The Tower of Blue Horses was a large work, 200 by 130 centimetres. Most of the picture is occupied by a frontal view of four primarily blue horses, arranged in a tier to the right of centre, facing the viewer but with their heads turned to the left; the foremost horse seemed "only a little less than life size" to at least one writer. To the left of their rumps, which form the centre of the picture, is an abstract landscape; above it is an orange rainbow on a yellow background. The foremost horse has a crescent moon on its chest, and crosses on its body which suggest stars. The Tower of Blue Horses Marc created the painting in summer 1913. A preliminary sketch in ink and gouache survives in the form of a new year's postcard for that year to

Follow the ingenious recreation of Tamara de Lempicka's Myrto, the priceless painting that was stolen during the Nazi occupation of France during World War II.    Mystery of the Lost Paintings ep. 5 - Mystery of the Lost Lempicka Most probably, it was with this painting that Lempicka captivated the physician Boucard, who immediately acquired it for his collection. It contains the basic luminist formulas invented by this artist, which represent her originality. The face of a sleeping woman in the background resembles photos of Lempicka at the time. During World War II, a member of the German occupation troops in France was so attracted by the work's power of seduction that he could not resist snatching it up; to date (1998), it has never resurfaced. Tamara de Lempicka Tamara Lempicka was a Polish painter active in the 1920s and 1930s, who spent her working life in France and the United States. She is best known for her polished Art Deco portraits of aristocrats and the wealthy,

A team of ingenious art experts recreate The Concert by Johannes Vermeer, which was stolen from a Boston museum in 1990 in the biggest art heist of modern times.     Mystery of the Lost Paintings ep. 4 - Mystery of the Lost Vermeer The Concert (c. 1664) is a painting by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer which depicts a man and two women performing music. It belonged to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, but was stolen in 1990 and remains missing. On account of this circumstance, it has been the subject of a large number of popular allusions. The picture measures 72.5 by 64.7 centimetres and shows three musicians: a young woman sitting at a harpsichord, a man playing the lute, and a woman who is singing. The harpsichord's upturned lid is decorated with an Arcadian landscape; its bright coloring stands in contrast to the two paintings hanging on the wall to the right and left. A viola da gamba can be seen lying on the floor. The musicians are identified by their clothing a

A pioneering team of art experts attempt to recreate van Gogh's 1888 painting Six Sunflowers, which was destroyed in Japan during World War II.    Mystery of the Lost Paintings ep. 3 - Mystery of the Lost Van Gogh Sunflowers is the name of two series of still life paintings by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. The first series, executed in Paris in 1887, depicts the flowers lying on the ground, while the second set, executed a year later in Arles, shows a bouquet of sunflowers in a vase. In the artist's mind both sets were linked by the name of his friend Paul Gauguin, who acquired two of the Paris versions. About eight months later van Gogh hoped to welcome and to impress Gauguin again with Sunflowers, now part of the painted Décoration for the Yellow House that he prepared for the guestroom of his home in Arles, where Gauguin was supposed to stay. After Gauguin's departure, van Gogh imagined the two major versions as wings of the Berceuse Triptych, and finally he inclu

Art experts attempt to digitally reconstruct Monet's Water Lilies, a much beloved painting that was destroyed in a fire at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1958.   Mystery of the Lost Paintings ep. 2 - Mystery of the Lost Monet On April 15, 1958, a fire on the second floor destroyed an 18 foot long Monet Water Lilies painting (the current Monet water lilies was acquired shortly after the fire as a replacement). The fire started when workmen installing air conditioning were smoking near paint cans, sawdust, and a canvas dropcloth. One worker was killed in the fire and several firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation. Most of the paintings on the floor had been moved for the construction although large paintings including the Monet were left. Art work on the 3rd and 4th floors were evacuated to the Whitney Museum of American Art which abutted it on the 54th Street side. Among the paintings that were moved was A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte which had b

This documentary series tells the stories of a host of historic paintings that have been tragically lost, stolen or destroyed over the decades and centuries. This series kicks off with Graham Sutherland's controversial portrait of Winston Churchill.   Mystery of the Lost Paintings ep. 1 - Sutherland's Portrait of Winston Churchill In 1954 the English artist Graham Sutherland was commissioned to paint a full-length portrait of Sir Winston Churchill. The 1,000 guinea fee for the painting was funded by donations from members of the House of Commons and House of Lords. The painting was presented to Churchill by both Houses of Parliament at a public ceremony in Westminster Hall on his 80th birthday on 30 November 1954. Churchill hated the portrait. After the public presentation, the painting was taken to his country home at Chartwell but was not put on display. After the death of Lady Churchill in 1977, it became clear that she had the painting destroyed some months after it was del

Andrew Graham-Dixon confronts the worlds of high art and seriously organised crime to uncover the true story behind the greatest art heist of the 21st century. In December 2002, two priceless and historically important paintings were stolen from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, in a brutal and audacious robbery by experienced, professional thieves.     But what happened to the masterpieces, and what is their use to criminals who can never sell or display them on the open market? Andrew travels across Europe, moving between the worlds of high art and low crime and meeting policemen, prosecutors and art experts to uncover just how the world of violent and organised crime makes extensive use of stolen art - and how lost masterpieces like these can be successfully recovered. Stealing Van Gogh - Art thefts at Van Gogh Museum In 1991, twenty paintings were stolen from the museum, among them Van Gogh's early painting The Potato Eaters. Although the thieves escaped from the building,

Andrew Graham-Dixon unravels the mysteries of the art of the pre-perspective era. He traces the beginnings of Christian art in Rome, Egypt and medieval France. How should art depict the relationship between man and God? How can art best express eternal values? Can you and should you portray the face of Christ? For over 1,000 years these were some of the questions which taxed the minds of the greatest artists of the early West. Art of Eternity part 1 - Painting Paradise How should art depict the relationship between man and God? How can art best express eternal values? Can you, and should you, portray the face of Christ? For over a thousand years these were some of the questions which taxed the minds of the greatest artists of the early West. In this three-part series, art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon sets out to unravel the mysteries of the art of the pre-perspective era. Why has this world been so frequently misunderstood and underrated? His journey takes him from the mysterious cata

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

Edouard Manet This acclaimed documentary, focussing on the sell-out exhibition at The Royal Academy of Arts, depicts the craft of one of the all-time great artists, the ‘father of modern art’, Edouard Manet. Spanning this enigmatic and, at times, controversial artist’s career Manet gives a fascinating exploration and detailed biography of the momentous painter and his environment in a rapidly changing 19th-century Paris.  Presented by Tim Marlow, and with special guests including art historians and contemporary painters, this documentary reveals Manet’s forward-thinking and modern approach to portraiture. Despite Manet’s portraits comprising around half of his artistic output, they have never been explored in a retrospective exhibition. The Royal Acadmey’s landmark show consisted of more than 50 works, including portraits of his most frequent sitter his wife Suzanne Leenhoff and luminaries of the period such as Antonin Proust, Émile Zola and Stéphane Mallarmé. Displaying exclusive beh

The Curious World of Hieronymus Bosch After 500 years Bosch’s paintings still shock and fascinate us but what inspired the man behind these haunting works? Where did his unconventional and timeless creations come from? How did he bridge the medieval and Renaissance world? Why do his strange and fantastical paintings resonate with people now more than ever? Discover the answers to these questions and more with this remarkable documentary directed by David Bickerstaff.  The Curious World of Hieronymus Bosch features the landmark exhibition in his home town which brought the majority of Bosch’s paintings and drawings together for the first and last time and attracted almost half a million art lovers from all over the world. The film reveals new discoveries through cutting-edge technology. With his fascinating life revealed, close-up details of the curiosities hidden within his brimming canvases from cannibalistic clergymen to three-headed birds, plus the stories within his works seen lik

Vincent van Gogh 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.

David Hockney at The Royal Academy of Arts 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 21s

Rothko is known for his abstract expressionism paintings, but he moved through more traditional styles in his early career, including Surrealist paintings in the 1940s. In 1947 he embarked on the first of his large abstract 'colour-field' paintings, formalising their structure further in the 1950s. Rothko had huge success with largescale solo shows, but committed suicide in 1970.   Power of Art episode 8 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 process, but so too may be shock, pain, desire, pity, even revulsion. That kind of art seems to have rewired our senses. We apprehend the world differently. Art that aims that high - whether by the hand of Caravaggio, Van Gogh or Picasso - was n

Guernica (1937) was created during Picasso's Surrealist period and captures the horror of the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. By the end of World War II, Picasso had become an internationally known artist and celebrity.   Power of Art episode 7 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 process, but so too may be shock, pain, desire, pity, even revulsion. That kind of art seems to have rewired our senses. We apprehend the world differently. Art that aims that high - whether by the hand of Caravaggio, Van Gogh or Picasso - was not made without trouble and strife. Of course there has been plenty of great art created in serenity, but the popular idea that so

Born in Groot-Zundert, The Netherlands, Van Gogh spent his early life as an art dealer, teacher and preacher in England, Holland and Belgium. His period as an artist began in 1881 when he chose to study art in Brussels, starting with watercolours and moving quickly on to oils. The French countryside was a major influence on his life and his early work was dominated by sombre, earthy colours depicting peasant workers, the most famous of which is The Potato Eaters, 1885. It was during Van Gogh's studies in Paris (1886-8) that he developed the individual style of brushwork and use of colour that made his name. In 1888 he moved to Arles where the Provençal landscape provided his best-known subject matter. However, it also marked the start of his mental crisis following an argument with his contemporary Paul Gauguin. Van Gogh was committed to a mental asylum in 1889 where he continued to paint, but he committed suicide in 1890. Power of Art episode 6 The power of the greatest art is the

Joseph Mallord William Turner One of Britain's most celebrated artists, William Turner showed exceptional artistic talent from an early age and entered the Royal Academy aged fourteen. His English landscapes made his name but there was a darker side to his paintings that was difficult for the critics to swallow, both in the increasingly informal use of paint and the subject matter that was critical of the romanticised vision of Britain in the late nineteenth century.    Power of Art episode 5 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 process, but so too may be shock, pain, desire, pity, even revulsion. That kind of art seems to have rewired our senses. We apprehend the world differently. A

Jacques-Louis David Painting became an important means of communication for Jacques-Louis David since his face was slashed during a sword fight and his speech became impeded by a benign tumour that developed from the wound, leading him to stammer. He was interested in painting in a new classical style that departed from the frivolity of the Rococo period and reflected the moral and austere climate before the French Revolution. David became closely aligned with the republican government and his work was increasingly used as propaganda with the Death of Marat proving his most controversial work.   Power of Art episode 4 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 process, but so too may be shock, p