About this season
Three drama-documentary films set in a Paris art studio during a century of scandal and revolution, exploring the lives of French artists Jacques-Louis David, Jean-Auguste Ingres, and Théodore Géricault.
Episodes (3)
1. The Passing Show
Aired 12 February 1986 • 76 min
From the last decadent days of the old monarchy through the Revolution and the rise and fall of Napoleon, the arts in France are dominated by one man: the mysterious figure of Jacques-Louis David. He is the greatest painter of his day, an ardent revolutionary – and a leading figure in Robespierre's secret police.
2. Slaves of Fashion
Aired 19 February 1986 • 84 min
Napoleon has fallen, and David is in exile. His star pupil, Jean-Auguste Ingres, seems set to assume the role of first painter of France. Ingres's superb portraits and exotic paintings of the nude have made his reputation. But he seems to be a man out of his time, and his career is marked by bitter conflicts.
3. Men and Wild Horses
Aired 26 February 1986 • 82 min
By the middle of the 19th century, Ingres is the grand old man of French painting. His arch-rival Delacroix is still the guiding light of the Romantics. But there is one genius, a contemporary of both men, who has been utterly forgotten. Writer Charles Clément sets out to investigate the mysterious and tragic figure of Théodore Géricault.