The Private Life of a Masterpiece
Masterpieces 1800-1850
The series reveals the full and fascinating stories behind famous works of art, not just how they came to be created, but also how they influenced others and came to have a life of their own in the modern world.
Where to Watch Masterpieces 1800-1850
3 Episodes
- Francisco Goya: The Third of May 1808
E1Francisco Goya: The Third of May 1808Arguably the most powerful painting about war ever achieved. It portrays the slaughter of civilians after Napoleonic troops entered Madrid in 1808. The programme reveals the historical truths behind the painting and shows exactly how Goya achieved this masterpiece of protest. - Eugène Delacroix: Liberty Leading the PeopleE2
Eugène Delacroix: Liberty Leading the PeopleThe great revolutionary masterpiece, painted by a man who soon complained that revolutions got in the way of dinner parties. Shunned by the government of the day, it has endured to become the symbol of the French republic and an icon of later revolutions. - Katsushika Hokusai: The Great Wave
E3Katsushika Hokusai: The Great WavePerhaps the most celebrated of all Japanese pictures, the Great Wave's portrayal of a huge wave about to overwhelm three boats was only produced by Hokusai when he was old and broke and needed money badly. A print that cost little more than bowl of noodles to those who first bought it, the image has been hugely influential on later art.
