The Private Life of a Masterpiece (2001)

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.

The Private Life of a Masterpiece

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Seasons

Season 1

Renaissance Masterpieces

Season 2

Seventeenth Century Masters

Season 3

Masterpieces 1800-1850

Season 4

Masterpieces 1851-1900

Season 5

Impressionism and the Post-Impressionists

Season 6

Masterpieces of the Twentieth Century

Season 7

Masterpieces of Sculpture

Season 8

Christmas Masterpieces

Season 9

Season 9

Season 10

Season 10

Episodes season 0

  • 0x1

    Filippo lippi: the adoration of the christ child

  • 0x2

    Episode 2

  • 0x3

    Masterpieces of sculpture little dancer by degas

Episodes season 1

  • 1x1

    Sandro botticelli: la primavera

  • 1x2

    Paolo uccello: the battle of san romano

  • 1x3

    Leonardo da vinci: the last supper

  • 1x4

    Piero della francesca: the resurrection

Episodes season 2

  • 2x1

    Rembrandt van rijn: the night watch

  • 2x2

    Johannes vermeer: the art of painting

  • 2x3

    Diego velázquez: the rokeby venus

  • 2x4

    Eugene delacroix: liberty leading the people

Episodes season 3

  • 3x1

    Francisco goya: the third of may 1808

  • 3x2

    Eugène delacroix: liberty leading the people

  • 3x3

    Katsushika hokusai: the great wave

Episodes season 4

  • 4x1

    Édouard manet: le déjeuner sur l'herbe

  • 4x2

    James mcneill whistler: portrait of the artist's mother

  • 4x3

    Edvard munch: the scream

Episodes season 5

  • 5x1

    Auguste renoir: dance at the moulin de la galette

  • 5x2

    Vincent van gogh: sunflowers

  • 5x3

    Georges seurat: a sunday afternoon on the island of la grande jatte

Episodes season 6

  • 6x1

    Pablo picasso: les demoiselles d'avignon

  • 6x2

    Gustav klimt: the kiss

  • 6x3

    Salvador dalí: christ of saint john of the cross

Episodes season 7

  • 7x1

    Michelangelo: david

  • 7x2

    Edgar degas: la petite danseuse de quatorze ans

  • 7x3

    Auguste rodin: the kiss

Episodes season 8

  • 8x1

    Jan van eyck: the annunciation

  • 8x2

    Pieter bruegel the elder: census at bethlehem

  • 8x3

    Paul gauguin: god's child

Episodes season 9

  • 9x1

    Caravaggio: the taking of christ

  • 9x2

    Sandro botticelli: the mystic nativity

Episodes season 10

  • 10x1

    Rogier van der weyden: the descent from the cross

  • 10x2

    Filippo lippi: the adoration of the christ child

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