About this season
The broadcaster and journalist Andrew Marr examines the stories behind some of the most famous works of art ever devised. Why were these pieces created and what makes them, in particular, so eternally fascinating? How much did the lives of the artists, and the society and environment they worked in, influence the paintings? Get ready to see truly iconic images in a whole new light.
Episodes (10)
1. Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci
Aired 6 June 2020
Andrew begins by telling the story behind the portrait that attracts eight million onlookers every year, Da Vinci's the Mona Lisa.
2. Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh
Aired 13 June 2020
Andrew tells the story behind the National Gallery's treasured Sunflowers, and the troubled genius behind its creation, Vincent Van Gogh.
3. The Fighting Temeraire by JMW Turner
Aired 20 June 2020
Andrew tells the story behind The Fighting Temeraire, JMW Turner's masterpiece, once voted to be the nation's favourite painting.
4. Water Lilies by Claude Monet
Aired 27 June 2020
Andrew tells the story of Water Lilies by Claude Monet. The first and perhaps most influential art installation ever created.
5. The Hay Wain by John Constable
Aired 4 July 2020
Andrew explores the more chaotic aspects of a seemingly idyllic piece of work from artist John Constable known as "The Hay Wain".
6. The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn
Aired 11 July 2020
Andrew travels to Amsterdam to learn details about The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn, including how the young artist was desperate to find fame.
7. Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso
Aired 18 July 2020
Andrew takes a close look at a Pablo Picasso painting entitled "Weeping Woman," and he shares details about how the art was inspired by a war crime.
8. The Rokeby Venus by Diego Velazquez
Aired 25 July 2020
Andrew takes a close look at a Diego Velazquez painting entitled "The Rokeby Venus," and he shares details about how the art challenged both the perceptions of the viewer and the infamous Spanish Inquisition.
9. Ophelia by John Everett Millais
Aired 1 August 2020
Andrew takes a close look at a John Everett Millais painting entitled "Ophelia," and he shares details about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood of which Millais was one of the founders that challenged the artistic establishment at that time.
10. The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli
Aired 8 August 2020
Andrew takes a close look at a Sandro Dotticelli painting entitled "The Birth of Venus," and he shares details about how this painting was an icon of the early renaissance, and a departure in theme from primarily religious' work's.