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DVD Description
This award-winning series, Life of a Masterpiece, 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.
The works of art featured here are both instantly familiar and profoundly mysterious. Revolutionary in their conception, and iconic years after their execution, they each have their own compelling stories. 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 artists and works included in this collection are:
Renaissance Masterpieces - Sandro Botticelli: La Primavera; Paolo Uccello: The Battle of San Romano; Leonardo da Vinci: The Last Supper; Piero della Francesca: The Resurrection.
Seventeenth Century Masters - Rembrandt van Rijn: The Night Watch; Johannes Vermeer: The Art of Painting; Diego Velazquez: The Rokeby Venus.
Masterpieces 1800 to 1850 - Francisco Goya: The Third of May 1808; Eugene Delacroix: Liberty Leading the People; Katsushika Hokusai: The Great Wave.
Masterpieces 1851 to 1900 - Edouard Manet: Le Déjeuner Sur L'Herbe; James McNeill Whistler: Portrait of the Artist’s Mother; Edvard Munch: The Scream.
Impressionism and the Post Impressionists - Auguste Renoir: Dance at the Moulin de la Galette; Vincent Van Gogh: The Sunflowers; Georges Seurat: A Sunday on La Grande Jatte 1884.
Masterpieces of the Twentieth Century - Pablo Picasso: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon; Gustav Klimt: The Kiss; Salvador Dali: Christ of St. John of the Cross.
Masterpieces of Sculpture - Michelangelo: David; Edgar Degas: Little Dancer Aged 14; Auguste Rodin: The Kiss. In this fascinating series key works of art are investigated and the intricate details of their lives revealed - the history, contemporary reactions, and legacies of each are illustrated.
The Times
"Every episode in this series has been unpretentious, informative and hugely entertaining.. superb television about great art."
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
103 of 103 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This a long overdue DVD release for what, in my view, is the best art series we've seen on British TV in the last ten years. Every one of these 22 films brings you information and ideas that enable you to look at some of the best known paintings in western art, as though you've never seen them before. We discover that Degas's Little Dancer Aged Fourteen was thought to resemble a deformed foetus by the critics who first saw her. Now she's a sculpture who is popular with ballet-loving girls all round the world. We find out the names of some of the unfortunate victims in Goya's amazing painting of a firing squad, The 3rd of May, and we get to discover exactly who shot them and why. We discover the amazing intrigues in the Medici court that lie behind Botticelli's beautifully ethereal image of the Primavera. I found out that Ucellos' Battle of San Romano, which is one of my favourite paintings in the National Gallery, is just part of a much bigger and far more complex picture. In every one of the 22 films in this box set we get to see the bigger picture, in every sense of the word. There is no presenter getting in the way. You just look at the pictures, find out the history, and hear comments from the biggest experts in the field. You also learn how images that were odd and controversial, like Munch's The Scream, became world famous by being used on the cover of Time magazine and turned into a dress by Dame Edna Everidge. Here's one series about art that is beautiful to look at, is not hung up on celebrity presenters, and never under-estimates the intelligence of the audience.
129 of 130 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I love Art and I have seen quite a few documentaries on artists and their works, but none can compare to this one. This is TV at its very best. Maybe it wasn't a great idea to call it The Private Life of a Masterpiece. One could get the wrong idea and think that what we have here is another easy popularization of great Art to make it palatable for the modern audience, watering it down and dressing it with cheap jokes. But in fact what we have here are 22 very well written and researched visual essays on 22 masterpieces. I could argue with some of the choices. Surely the so called Rokeby Venus by Velazquez cannot compare with his "Las Meninas", arguably the greatest and more profoundly meaningful painting of all time. Maybe it was easier for the BBC to do the painting in the National Gallery than the jewel of the Prado in Madrid. And some other choices seem peculiar as well. But of course all are great masterpieces and good arguments for 22 intelligent documentaries. The discs are housed in two atractive volumes, protected by a handsome and sturdy slipcase. Unfortunately three of the episodes (Ucello, Vermeer and Klimt) were shot in the old 4:3 aspect ratio, The rest are in anamorphic 16:9 and the picture and sound are first rate. If you love Art, you have to have this.
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If you want a riveting, authoritative and excellently produced art appreciation series, look no further! Everyone I know adores these DVDs - each one is a masterpiece of its own, with background, analysis and new ways of looking at some of the world's best-known pieces of art. Even if you know a lot about art already, you will certainly still learn something. I personally like the series so much I have to limit myself to one viewing per day so I can continue to look forward to the next one! Five stars - and I just wish there were even more to watch.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Delighted
This is fascinating and the perfect present for anyone studying art or just interested in learning more about it. Very pleased with this purchase.
Published 3 months ago by NC
Great antidote to 'Dumbing Down'
No 'Blokey' presenter hogging the screen, no tendentious comparisons with modern culture for the sake of 'accessibility'. Somber, intelligent and insightful commentary. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Phil
The most engaging documentary series
From the superb narrator. to the well placed interview clips, the long shots of the artworks, the historic settings. Read more
Published 7 months ago by maximus
Narrow Scope
This very good BBC series assesses nineteen famous paintings from Botticelli to Dali, and three famous sculptures. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Nicholas Casley
A masterpiece itself!
I am extremely impressed with this DVD. Each episode is packed with interesting information surrounding paintings and sculptures and their creators. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Miss Button
Generally wonderful but..
I agree with the other reviews about the general excellence of this series but there is a major problem...the sound quality. Read more
Published 8 months ago by lawrence_of_london
Fascinating
This is a wonderful collection of 22 programmes looking at some of the finest works of art (both paintings and sculpture) from the Renaissance to the twentieth century. Read more
Published 9 months ago by M. D. Jenkins
Inspiring
The selected works are populist yet poignant. The level of detail and nature in which the subject is addressed are both respectful and insightful. Read more
Published 11 months ago by AP
Private Life of a Masterpiece
This item was bought as a gift for my husband. He has thoroughly enjoyed it, finding it both informative and thought-provoking and something he will return to in future. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Leerie
Private life of a masterpiece
If you have recently started to appreciate art and want to know more then this is a very good choice for a beginner. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Satu
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