The Private Life of a Masterpiece - Season 4

First aired: 4/17/2004 5 episodes

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Episodes

1. Katsushika Hokusai: The Great Wave

Aired: 4/17/2004

Arguably the most recognisable image in Far Eastern art, this Japanese magnum opus is an accurate portrayal of the waves sailors swore they had encountered, despite universal scepticism. One of a series of wood-block prints begun in the 1820s by Katsushika Hokusai , then in his 70s, The Great Wave has a fascinating history that speaks volumes in the 21st century.

2. Edgar Degas: The Little Dancer

Aired: 4/24/2004

Edgar Degas 's bronze sculpture of a ballet dancer wearing a real tutu has become one of the most widely appreciated European works of art. But when the original tinted wax version was first exhibited in 1881 it caused consternation, with contemporary critics dubbing Degas's petite danseuse variously as "a monster' and a "flower of the gutter". This documentary reveals how Degas broke every rule in the book to create his modern masterpiece, and also tells the poignant life story of the sculpture's model.

3. Vincent Van Gogh: The Sunflowers

Aired: 5/1/2004

Viewed as one of the most famous works of art in the world, few people know the history behind Vincent Van Gogh 's painting. Inspired by a bunch of flowers that the artist found lying in the gutter, Sunflowers became a personal favourite of the Dutch artist. A favourite so much that ten versions of the original were made, the first of which helped to form a fruitful yet ultimately fraught relationship with fellow artist Paul Gauguin. Revealing these stories and how Van Gogh 's passion for sunflowers followed him all the way to the grave, this documentary also looks to explain the enduring popularity behind the piece.

4. Pablo Picasso: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

Aired: 5/15/2004

"My Brothel" is the title Pablo Picasso gave to his depiction of five prostitutes - a painting that shocked even his friends when they first saw it. But how did the piece arise from a rivalry between Picasso and Matisse? What influences did Picasso draw on for his allegory of sex and death? And why does it remain revolutionary to this day?

5. James McNeill Whistler: Portrait of the Painter's Mother

Aired: 5/22/2004

Whistler's portrait of his elderly Puritan mother is one of the most satirised paintings of all time. Yet when his sombre masterpiece was first unveiled, it was seen as a radical departure from the sentimental images beloved of the Victorians, and which Whistler loathed. How did the portrait, born of Whistler's complex relationship with his mother, change the course of painting so drastically?