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Matthew Collings features a splendidly basic and humorous way of creating you realize the when, exactly where, why and the way of critical is artwork so this programme will get your head all-around impressionism in a few hrs.

Matthew Collings will reappraise the Impressionists. The 4 stars are Courbet, Manet, Monet and Cezanne. In two hrs their tales and their artwork will intertwine.

Mathew Collings makes a personal selection of the greatest artistic moments and monuments from history to examine how they have shaped our world. He embarks on an epic journey, to stunning locations across Europe, Egypt, China and the United States, to explore the changing ways in which cultures of the past have shaped our civilization. In doing so, he offers a unique perspective on today’s social and political issues.

Each episode in this four-part series addresses a watershed in artistic expression and explores how that transition has shaped Western culture and thought. 4-part series, 49 minutes each.

Ye Gods

Whatever our religious beliefs, the feelings we have about civilisation today would be unimaginable without the religious art of the past. Collings starts in ancient Greece. The Greeks absorbed the awesome power of representations of the gods left by older civilisations, particularly the ancient Egyptians, but it’s the element the Greeks added that still fascinates us today: lifelikeness, the human body, the feeling that this is art that celebrates what it is to be human.

A powerful, moving and accurate docudrama based on the life of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). Paul Rhys’s masterful portrayal of Beethoven is particularly noteworthy, doing well to vividly convey the isolation and despair Beethoven experienced throughout his life, while insightful narration from the popular conductor, composer and presenter Charles Hazlewood does well to add a sophisticated educational dimension to the series.

This is the story of one of the greatest minds in history.

An artist, scientist, engineer, visionary and all-round genius, Leonardo Da Vinci (1452–1519) was arguably the main figure of the Renaissance.

Over three gripping episodes, this docudrama from the BBC reconstructs the life of Leonardo from early boyhood to death.

Each episode is infused with brilliant academic commentary and includes the building and testing of some of Leonardo’s inventions, including his tank, hang glider, underwater suit, and parachute.

An enlightening and enveloping reconstruction of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s (1756–1791) life. Masterfully written and directed, every aspect of the film has been given thorough thought in order to ensure an accurate historical reconstruction. Inspirational performances from the main actors and actresses foster captivation, while regular narrative interjections from the popular composer and conductor Charles Hazlewood brings an insightful, educational dimension.

To produce one of the world’s great masterpieces is impressive. To create three is truly astonishing – but this is exactly what Michelangelo did five hundred years ago. With his own hands he designed and created the most famous sculpture in the world – the David; the most awe-inspiring painting – the ceiling of the Sistine chapel; and one of the world’s greatest buildings – the dome of St Peter’s, the jewel in the crown of the Roman skyline.

Amazing that a nearly hour-long film about a Beatle that contains almost no music could still be worthwhile, but that’s the case with John & Yoko’s Year of Peace.

The year in question is 1969, when the newly married couple staged the notorious “bed-in” at a Toronto hotel to promote their somewhat naive but sincere campaign for world peace; they then moved on to Montreal, where “Give Peace a Chance” was recorded in another hotel room, before returning to Toronto, where Lennon (accompanied by Eric Clapton and others) became the first Beatle to perform in concert without his mates.

Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1956 film, The Mystery of Picasso (Le Mystère Picasso), sets out some lofty goals for itself. In only 75 minutes, Clouzot seeks to uncover nothing less than the “mystery,” not merely of Picasso’s process of painting, but of artistic production itself. We’re talking metaphysical meta-projects here, the search for the core truth of capital-A “Art.” To this end, the film documents the production of 20 original works by Picasso.