The Private Life of a Masterpiece — Season 9
About this season
Private Life of a Masterpiece is a BBC arts documentary series that tells the stories behind great works of art reaching from the Renaissance to modern art. David by Michelangelo, The Scream by Edvard Munch, The Third of May 1808 by Francisco Goya, The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn, Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon by Pablo Picasso, The Annunciation by Jan van Eyck, ... The Art of Painting by Johannes Vermeer. For behind the beautiful canvases and sculptures are tales of political revolution, wartime escapes, massive ego clashes, social scandal, financial wrangling and shocking violence. 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.
Episodes (2)
1. Rogier van der Weyden: The Descent from the Cross
Aired 3 April 2010 • 50 min
The Descent from The Cross by Rogier Van der Weyden is a rich feast for art lovers, but what is the secret history of this world-renowned painting?
2. Filippo Lippi: The Adoration of the Christ Child
Aired 25 October 2010
Examining Filippo Lippi's Adoration of the Christ Child. Its beauty inspired Michelangelo and Botticelli, but it also conceals a personal story.