The Private Life of a Masterpiece Episode Rating Graph
Dec 2001 - Oct 2010

Dec 2001 - Oct 2010
5.0

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Browse episode ratings trends for The Private Life of a Masterpiece. Simply click on the interactive rating graph to explore the best and worst of The Private Life of a Masterpiece's 29 episodes.

S5 Ep2
9.0
9th Apr 2005
The series that reveals the stories behind famous artworks continues with an examination of the favourite picture of the artist who painted it - the 17th-century Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. This sublime symbol-laden interior remained in his possession until his death, despite the family being in dire financial straits. A later admirer was Adolf Hitler , who liked it so much that he bought it.

S4 Ep3
9.0
1st May 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.

S3 Ep3
9.0
2nd Feb 2004
Was the Moulin de la Galette dance hall really the joyful haven depicted in Renoir's celebratory painting of 1876? Certainly, the Paris of the period was emerging from a violent, bloody political upheaval and Renoir appears to have been unique in depicting the renowned venue as a place of pleasure.

S6 Ep1
8.0
13th Apr 2006
The stories behind three paintings that encompass traditional Easter themes. The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. Dan Brown 's blockbuster The Da Vinci Code may have brought the fresco to a new audience, but historian David Rosand argues that the book suffers from a basic misreading of the painting; here, he guides us through the work's life story.

S1 Ep1
6.4
8th Dec 2001
First of two films on the stories behind famous artworks. This documentary traces the eventful existence of Edvard Munch's notorious piece, from its late-19th-century origins to its present-day significance. A disturbing image of an androgynous screaming figure, the work has nonetheless become one of the world's most familiar and reproduced pictures. Artist Tracey Emin is among those who testify to its continuing power.

S1 Ep2
7.0
15th Dec 2001
It is one of art's most noted pieces, but it took failures by two sculptors before Michelangelo Buonarroti completed the work in the early 16th century. This documentary reveals the techniques Michelangelo used to re-create the human body so accurately on such a vast scale, and how contrasting interpretations view it as a symbol of either military might or of freedom.

S2 Ep2
7.0
25th Jan 2003
One of the most widely reproduced images in the world is examined in the second of two films on famous works of art. The Rokeby Venus was painted by Diego Velazquez , court painter to the King of Spain in the 17th century. Described as one of the most erotic paintings ever created, it shows the back view of a woman looking at her reflection in a mirror being held by Cupid. Once forbidden by the Spanish Inquisition, and slashed seven times by a militant suffragette in 1914, today the painting is frequently imitated and admired.

S3 Ep1
7.0
19th Jan 2004
Auguste Rodin 's Kiss has had a more colourful life than most sculptures. At the time of its conception 100 years ago the intertwined lovers' erotically charged embrace was seen as dangerous. Even in the last year its story has undergone twists and turns. Now housed in London's Tate Modern, this film recounts The Kiss's byzantine history.

S1 Ep1
6.4
8th Dec 2001
First of two films on the stories behind famous artworks. This documentary traces the eventful existence of Edvard Munch's notorious piece, from its late-19th-century origins to its present-day significance. A disturbing image of an androgynous screaming figure, the work has nonetheless become one of the world's most familiar and reproduced pictures. Artist Tracey Emin is among those who testify to its continuing power.

S1 Ep2
7.0
15th Dec 2001
It is one of art's most noted pieces, but it took failures by two sculptors before Michelangelo Buonarroti completed the work in the early 16th century. This documentary reveals the techniques Michelangelo used to re-create the human body so accurately on such a vast scale, and how contrasting interpretations view it as a symbol of either military might or of freedom.
The first episode of The Private Life of a Masterpiece aired on December 08, 2001.
The last episode of The Private Life of a Masterpiece aired on October 25, 2010.
There are 29 episodes of The Private Life of a Masterpiece.
There are 9 seasons of The Private Life of a Masterpiece.
No.
The Private Life of a Masterpiece has ended.