Andrew Graham-Dixon shows how the art of Renaissance Flanders evolved from the craft of precious tapestries within the Duchy of Burgundy into a leading painting school in its own right. Starting his journey at the magnificent altarpiece of Ghent Cathedral created by the Van Eyck brothers, Andrew explains their groundbreaking innovation in oil painting and marvels at how the colors they obtained can still remain so vibrant today. Andrew describes how,...

It seems appropriate for a portrait to be a fair representation of its subject. However, problems can arise when the sitter does not perceive himself or herself in the same way the painter does. In this program, Tai-Shan Schierenberg paints a portrait of a wealthy English gentleman in two 3-hour sittings, under the intimidating stare of portraits by Holbein, Reynolds, Rembrandt, and Van Dyck. As an artist, Schierenberg is drawn to his subject's natural...

The technological innovations pioneered by chemists and engineers during the 1940s and 1950s soon began to be used in other industries. Art historians, for example, began to use x-ray techniques and chemical compounds to restore the work of master painters or to repair artwork that had been damaged.

The 17th century was a time of religious conflicts, political struggles, and great scientific advances. This upheaval contributed to the Baroque period's relatively unrestrained, overtly emotional, and more energetic style that is reflected, to varying degrees, in paintings from all across Europe.This program examines:o Caravaggio's The Young Lute Player (circa 1596), from The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburgo Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal...

The centuries-long era of painting on wooden panels culminated in magnificent works such as Grunewald's Isenheim Altarpiece and van der Weyden's Beaune Altarpiece. But then canvas finally came into its own: light in weight, low in cost, easy to prepare, and an ideal replacement for frescoes where climatic conditions did not easily permit mural painting, over time it became the artist's medium of choice. This program traces the evolution of painting...

This program concentrates on the importance of drawing to the different artistic disciplines as it addresses ongoing debates surrounding the representation of space. Drawing tools and materials are presented, and special attention is given to the application of geometry, the principal science of image construction. Classical and Renaissance theories of perspective are considered, as is the progressive disintegration of these theories by artists of...

Should brushstrokes be allowed to show-or even be shown off, like a signature-or should they be carefully effaced whenever possible, leaving the surface of a painting smooth? This program looks at both the mechanical side of the question-the influence of pigments and brush types on the traces of a brush's passage-as well as the long-running doctrinal tension between exponents of visible and hidden brushstrokes.

This richly detailed film journeys through the epic history of still life painting, featuring a range of delights from the earliest existing mural paintings discovered at Pompeii to the cubist masterpieces of Picasso. Awash with rich imagery of fruit and flowers as well as humble domestic objects, this lively take on the story of still life encompasses the work of some of the genre's greatest artists, from Caravaggio to Cezanne. Still Life is also...

Leonardo da Vinci's Virgin and Child with Saint Anne had already been disfigured by attempts at repairs when the controversial decision was made in 2009 to once again attempt a clean-up and refurbishing. Complicating the decision was the fact that da Vinci had never finished the painting, but returned to it year after year to modify it. Could a restoration remain true to da Vinci's intentions? Might the masterpiece be further damaged by trying to...

Giotto di Bondone initiated the Italian Renaissance with his naturalistic and emotive treatment of medieval Christian iconography that departed from Byzantine style painting. In receiving commissions from princes, kings and Popes, he raised the artist's status from that of a craftsman to that of a poet or philosopher. Using nature as his teacher and narrative as his guide, Giotto developed an individual style that would characterize Western art for...