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Without Camille Pissarro, there is no Impressionist movement. He is rightfully known as the father of Impressionism. It was a dramatic path that Pissarro followed, and throughout it all he wrote extensively to his family. It is through these intimate and revealing letters that this gripping film reveals Pissarro’s life and work. Born in the West Indies, Pissarro found his passion in paint as a young man in Paris, and by the age of 43 had corralled a group of enthusiastic artists into a new collective. Their first show was scorned by the critics, but the group had acquired a new name: the Impressionists. For the next 40 years Pissarro was the driving force behind what has today become the world’s favourite artistic movement. The Ashmolean Museum has a long tradition of excellence. As the UK’s first ever public museum (it opened its doors in May 1683) it houses a wonderfully rich collection, including the remarkable Pissarro archive. With exclusive access to most extensive archive of

With his considerable production of more than 6,000 works, Auguste Renoir took part in the emergence of the impressionist movement even if he were to distance himself from it later to assert a more personal style. This visit begins with his most famous masterpiece, the “Ball at the Moulin de la Galette”. You will also rediscover the “Dance in the City” and the “Piano Lesson” exposed at the Joslyn art museum as well as “Claude Renoir in Clown Costume”, a portrait of his son who was later to become one of France’s greatest film directors exposed at the Orangerie Museum in France Enjoy your visit!

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The pyramid of Djoser, the oldest Egyptian pyramid - 2,600 BC - undoubtedly reveals the very first steps of what we call architecture, as a learned practice, distinct from simple construction. The place where this break takes place is a funerary monument, where symbolic function takes precedence over simple use. From the outset, architecture asserted itself not as a function but as a sign. Thirty kilometers south of Cairo, east of the Nile valley, Saqqarah was the necropolis of Memphis, the first capital of ancient Egypt, of which nothing remains except this immense cemetery dominated by the sixty-meter-high Step Pyramid of Djoser.

In 1598, King Abbas decided to make Isfahan his capital and planned a huge urban project. The Royal Mosque is at once a place of prayer, a garden in the middle of the desert and a way of writing down the texts of the faith. It is also a school and a place of public hygiene. It embodies the unprecedented richness of an art of living, the power of a king and the talent of hundreds of craftsmen and artists.

On the evening of 13 July 1999, a day of celebrations in France, Rembrandt’s *The Boy with a Soap Bubble* disappeared from the Draguignan Municipal Museum. Patrick Vialaneix recounts how he fell in love with this painting at the age of 13. Thirteen years later, the painting continued to haunt him, and he decided to steal it so that he could always have it close to him and talk to it. He therefore hid in a cupboard in the museum, waiting for nightfall to make off with it. He turned himself in to the police in 2014.

Vandalised, stolen, cut into pieces, melted down and resold for a few thousand euros, even though they are worth millions: sculptures. On the night of 30–31 March 1999, whilst this park in the 6th arrondissement was closed to the public, individuals stole the sculpture of Picasso’s former muse and lover, Dora Maar: ‘Head of a Woman’, an 80-centimetre-tall bronze weighing 80 kilos. Two years later, in a town hall in the Paris suburbs, it stood proudly on the staircase: ‘Do you realise you’ve got a Picasso in your building?’ exclaimed an antique dealer who had come to visit the château. Indeed, the town hall had found a ‘large stone’ buried on a plot of land, had it cleaned, thought it was beautiful and displayed it in their château, unaware that it was a sculpture by Picasso…

Sisley was a British Impressionist painter, closely associated with Renoir and Monet. On 20 June 1978, at 8.30 pm, a truck was stolen. Inside were around ten masterpieces worth 1.5 billion francs. The transport company responsible for returning the works following a loan had made no security arrangements. On 21 September 1998, ‘The Avenue of Poplars’ was stolen once again. This time, it was the curator of the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nice, Jean Fornéris, who staged his own abduction! Finally, on Sunday 5 August 2007, five masked and armed men held up staff at the Nice museum to steal four paintings, including the Sisley. It was not until 2008, with the help of the FBI – which was also searching for works stolen from the Boston Museum – that the thieves were arrested.

Painted by the Van Eyck brothers, ‘The Adoration of the Mystical Lamb’ or ‘The Ghent Altarpiece’ is regarded as one of the greatest masterpieces of the Flemish Primitives. Installed in St Bavon’s Cathedral in Ghent as early as 1432, it escaped theft and looting on several occasions, However, on the night of 10–11 April 1934, two panels were stolen, one of which – ‘The Just Judges’ – has never been recovered to this day, because the bishop refused to pay the ransom demanded…

Strictly Come Dancing’s Zoe Ball and Ian Waite are quickstepping their way across the south West of England in a bid to turn a profit at auction in Hampshire. Experts Margie Cooper and Paul Laidlaw are on hand to guide. Paul shares a secret with Zoe about buying antique hair brushes. Ian, though, offers dancing lessons to dealers to secure a discount. Lordy! Zoe also hears how one village became world famous for lace production while Ian ends up meeting a giant horse with its own boat.

Francisco de Goya (1746-1828) is a Spanish painter and engraver. He introduced several stylistic breaks that initiated Romanticism and announced the beginning of contemporary painting. His works include easel paintings, murals, engravings and drawings. We will discover works such as “Self-portrait with glasses”, “The sleep of reason produces monsters” or “The young ones”.

Based on a major exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, Tokyo Stories spans 400 years of incredibly rich art, from Hokusai’s prints to Pop Art posters, via contemporary photography, manga, cinema and street art. The exhibition was a huge success and attracted a significantly younger and more diverse audience than usual. The film draws on the exhibition to take us to Tokyo and explore the city’s art and artistic figures in greater depth. A superbly illustrated and richly detailed documentary, which traces the journey of a metropolis marked by ceaseless cycles of destruction and rebirth throughout its 400-year history, to become one of the most dynamic and fascinating cities in the world today.

Passionate about horticulture, Monet remains the undisputed master of garden painting in the history of art, but he was not alone. Artists such as Van Gogh, Bonnard, Picasso and Matisse used the garden as a strong theme in their work. These great artists, along with many other famous names, are brought together in an innovative exhibition from the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Royal Gallery of Arts in London. From the exhibition itself to the beauty of artists' gardens such as Monet's at Giverny, we take a journey to discover how the modern garden was used to explore radical and wondrous new ideas.

Who was Frida Kahlo? Journey into the life of a true icon, discover her art and the truth behind her often turbulent life. The combination of interviews, commentary and a detailed exploration of Kahlo's art offers a treasure trove of color and a feast of vitality. This intimate, personal documentary provides privileged access to her works, and sheds light on her feverish creativity, resilience and unparalleled thirst for life.

The National Gallery in London is one of the world’s greatest art galleries. It is brimming with masterpieces, an inexhaustible treasure trove of history and an endless source of stories. This film gives a voice to those whose lives have been touched by the Gallery, from the security guard to the director, including daily visitors, celebrities and members of the royal family. Claudia Winkleman, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Jacqueline Wilson and Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie reveal their deeply personal connection to the National Gallery.

Pablo Picasso is one of the world's greatest artists, and until his death in 1973, he was its most prolific. How did it all begin? After being ignored for too long, it's time to focus on the artist's early years and the upbringing that enabled him to achieve the extraordinary. Three cities played a key role: Malaga, Barcelona and Paris. Young Picasso traverses them and explores their influence on the artist, analyzing specific works from his early years.

The Impressionists are the most popular group in art history - millions flock every year to marvel at their masterpieces. But, to begin with, they were scorned, penniless outsiders. 1874 was the year that changed everything; the first Impressionists, “hungry for independence”, broke the mould by holding their own exhibition outside official channels. Impressionism was born and the art world was changed forever. What led to that first groundbreaking show 150 years ago? Who were the maverick personalities that wielded their brushes in such a radical and provocative way? The spectacular Musée d’Orsay exhibition brings fresh eyes to this extraordinary tale of passion and rebellion. The story is told not by historians and curators but in the words of those who witnessed the dawn of Impressionism: the artists, press and people of Paris, 1874. See the show that changed everything on the big screen.

Actor and charmer Nigel Havers and his canny, deal-making chum (and ex-agent) Michael Whitehall explore the West Country. Travelling by Bentley and TVR, they’ll have £400 each and expert advice from Margie Cooper and James Braxton. But what will do best at the auction... Nigel’s old cockle bucket or Michael’s tambourine? Plus there’s a trip to see some Bristol Savages and bit of Georgian elegance with the story of ‘The King of Bath’.

A celebrity couple Road Trip – award winning journalists John Stapleton and Lynn Faulds Wood. Joining them on this jolly jaunt are Thomas Plant and Margie Cooper. With £400 in their pockets the teams kick off in Wrightington, Lancashire and head to Stockport for auction. Lynn and Thomas find themselves literally knee deep in antiques while hunting for old biscuit tins while Margie tries to convince John some rare lamps will make a profit. Also John learns how an American revolutionised British public transport and Lynn sees why snakes are milked in Liverpool.

From the 17th century, Chinese objects dazzled the kings of France and found their way into the Versailles palace. Conversely, French tapestries and astronomical instruments enthralled Emperor Kangxi’s China. For centuries, this sumptuous furniture has been weaving a unique relationship between the two countries. Engendering fascination, imitation and transformation, these masterpieces have fueled a sustained conversation between the two cultures, following the evolution of morals and fashions. An exchange nurtured by emblematic and visionary figures, from Louis XIV to Charles de Gaulle, from Arcade Huang (interpreter of the Sun King) to Shen Fuzong, from Marie Antoinette to Victor Hugo. To coincide with an exhibition at the Palace Museum (Beijing), this film draws four centuries of artistic dialogue between East and West. Propelled into the heart of grandiose settings – the Château de Versailles, the Forbidden City, Jingdezhen (the “Porcelain Capital”) – we become privileged spec

A remarkable event occurred at London’s National Gallery when the largest ever collection of Leonardo’s surviving paintings was assembled in a unique exhibition: Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan. Leonardo is recognised as perhaps the greatest painter and sculptor of all time but there was no end to his talents. This film tells his life story and expands on Leonardo the visionary and inventor from the place where he lived out his final years at Château du Clos Lucé in France, concluding that Leonardo da Vinci was perhaps the very embodiment of the spirit of the Renaissance.

Hopper’s work is the most recognisable art in America – popular, praised, and mysterious. Countless painters, photographers, filmmakers and musicians have been influenced by his art – but who was he, and how did a struggling illustrator create such a bounty of notable work? This new film takes a deep look into Hopper’s art, his life, and his relationships. From his early career as an illustrator; his wife giving up her own promising art career to be his manager; his critical and commercial acclaim; and in his own words – this film explores the enigmatic personality behind the brush…

With loans from across the world, this major retrospective brings together Vermeer’s most famous masterpieces including Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Geographer, The Milkmaid, The Little Street, Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid, and Woman Holding a Balance. In all, 28 of his surviving 37 works. This film invites audiences to a privileged view of the exhibition, accompanied by the director of the Rijksmuseum and the curators of the show. A truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to discover the genius of Vermeer and his fascinating and mysterious life.

In China's Zhejiang province, a strange animal crawls out of adobe. Wa Shan, literally "tile mountain", is a rather unusual guesthouse, built between 2011 and 2013 by Chinese architect Wang Shu. Winding along a river and disappearing in places behind wild vegetation, the guesthouse is set in a landscape of mountains and water. Wang Shu is a great scenographer and is renowned for his commitment to sustainable architecture. The guesthouse was built using recycled materials and rammed earth, a provocation in a country that concretes at every turn.

Kimiko Yoshida has settled in a working-class neighborhood in the northeast of Paris. Her house is at the same time an exhibition gallery, a reception room and a studio. Initially a photographer, she has become a visual artist. The self-portrait is a motif that punctuates the artist's work. But paradoxically, she flees vanity to aim at disappearance.

Comic and entertainer Jim Moir and his wife Nancy Sorrell are Road Tripping in Kent today. Better known as Vic Reeves, Jim brings his unique brand of humour to the business of buying antiques. While model and TV presenter Nancy also knows a thing or two about bargaining and she’s very competitive! The couple are ably assisted by experts Charlie Ross and Thomas Plant. Look out for Jim’s uncanny gift of guessing the age of just about anything, Dixon crossing the Niagara Falls and how to navigate by Longitude. Plus will the mysterious Mrs Parker turn up to the auction?

Today, we invite you to Lyon. The two candidates of the day, Christophe Boulair and Julien Arnaud, will have one hour to compete on the theme of Old Lyon. They will have to walk around the old town in search of the best spot to take the most beautiful picture as possible.

In this episode, we will meet the artist Richard Texier. He is now considered one of the best living artists of his generation. His work is based on the Pantheo Vortex, an artistic exploration of the mystery and beauty of the world. His works can be found in numerous public and private collections, both in France and abroad.

Take an hour break to discover the work of a Flemish painter, Pierre Paul Rubens. You will discover his labour with Samson and Dalilah, The four philosophers or The education of Marie de’Medici.

Take an hour break to discover the work of a French painter, Édouard Vuillard. You will discover his labour with Sleep, The Piano or Portrait de madame Henri Vaquez.