The Private Life of a Masterpiece
The Private Life of a Masterpiece is a BBC arts documentary series which tells the stories behind great works of art; 29 episodes of the series were broadcast on BBC Two, commencing on 8 December 2001 and ending on 25 December 2010. It initially ran for five seasons from 8 December 2001 to 17 April 2006, for a total of 22 episodes; each episode was 50 minutes long. A seven-DVD box set of the first five series was released in 2007, which re-arranged the documentaries into genres from art history. A further seven episodes were broadcast between 24 December 2006 and 25 December 2010. The series has been widely broadcast around the world, often in re-voiced into national languages. The original narrations were done by the actor Samuel West. Works of art featured range from Michelangelo's David for the first episode to Filippo Lippi's Adoration of the Christ Child for the last.
| The Private Life of a Masterpiece | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Art documentary |
| Narrated by | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 29 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company | BBC Cymru Wales |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two |
| Picture format | 16:9 |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 8 December 2001 – 25 December 2010 |
The series was produced by independent TV production company Fulmar Television & Film, based in Cardiff.[1] The series producer, who also devised the concept of the programme, was Jeremy Bugler.[2]
The series was well received by art and television critics. The Times' David Chater placed it at Number 30 in his paper's Top 50 TV shows of the Noughties.[3]
Episode guide
- Series 1 (2001)
- Series 2 (2002)
- Édouard Manet: Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (BBC Two, 18 January 2003)
- Diego Velázquez: The Rokeby Venus (BBC Two, 25 January 2003)
- Series 3 (2004)
- Auguste Rodin: The Kiss (BBC Two, 19 January 2004)
- Francisco Goya: The Third of May 1808 (BBC Two, 26 January 2004)
- Auguste Renoir: Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre (BBC Two, 2 February 2004)
- Rembrandt van Rijn: The Night Watch (BBC Two, 9 February 2004)
- Sandro Botticelli: La Primavera (BBC Two, 23 February 2004)
- Katsushika Hokusai: The Great Wave (BBC Two, 17 April 2004)
- Edgar Degas: Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (BBC Two, 24 April 2004)
- Vincent van Gogh: Sunflowers (BBC Two, 1 May 2004)
- Pablo Picasso: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (BBC Two, 15 May 2004)
- James McNeill Whistler: Whistler's Mother (BBC Two, 22 May 2004)
- Series 4 (2005)
- Eugène Delacroix: Liberty Leading the People (BBC Two, 2 April 2005)
- Johannes Vermeer: The Art of Painting (BBC Two, 9 April 2005)
- Paolo Uccello: The Battle of San Romano (BBC Two, 16 April 2005)
- Georges Seurat: A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (BBC Two, 23 April 2005)
- Gustav Klimt: The Kiss (BBC Two, 30 April 2005)
- The Private Life of an Easter Masterpiece (2006)
- Leonardo da Vinci: The Last Supper (BBC Two, 13 April 2006)
- Salvador Dalí: Christ of Saint John of the Cross (BBC Two, 14 April 2006)
- Piero della Francesca: The Resurrection (BBC Two, 17 April 2006)
- The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece (2006)
- Jan van Eyck: The Annunciation (BBC Two, 24 December 2006)
- Pieter Bruegel the Elder: Census At Bethlehem (BBC Two, 25 December 2006)
- Paul Gauguin: God's Child (BBC Two, 26 December 2006)
- The Private Life of an Easter Masterpiece (2009)
- The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece (2009)
- The Private Life of an Easter Masterpiece (2010)
- The Private Life of a Christmas Masterpiece (2010)
References
- "The Private Life of a Masterpiece". fulmartelevion.co.uk.com. 21 December 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- "Jeremy Bugler, Head of Programmes". fulmartelevion.co.uk.com. 21 December 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- Chater, David (12 September 2009). "The top 50 TV shows of the Noughties". The Times. Retrieved 18 January 2011. (Subscription required).
