The Art of Eternity: A Superb Three-Part BBC Documentary By Andrew Graham-Dixon
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When I have offered iconography courses in the past, I have sometimes invited the participants in the evenings to watch this excellent 2007 documentary series, presented by art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon. You won’t find a better presentation on film. I have linked it below, and invite you to give it a viewing. Here is the description and the three one-hour segments:
The Art of Eternity is a BBC documentary series presented by Andrew Graham-Dixon, about early Christian art from the third century AD to the early years of the fourteenth century. The series consists of three episodes, exploring early Christian art from the declining Roman Empire through the Byzantine Empire to the Renaissance. The first episode traces the beginnings of Christian art. The second episode looks at the relevance between the art of the Byzantine Empire and earlier Christian art. And the third and final episode examines early Christian art, the reasons for its evolution during the Renaissance, and its influence on modern artists.
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Episode 1 - Painting Paradise
Andrew Graham-Dixon traces the beginnings of Christian art in the declining Roman Empire, Egypt and medieval France, and reveals the ideas which lay behind the transition from classical art to the first icons.
You can view Part One by clicking on this sentence.
Episode 2 - The Glory of Byzantium
Andrew Graham-Dixon travels to Istanbul to immerse himself in the tumultuous world of the Byzantine Empire. He decodes the iconography of the art of the period and explains its continuing relevance.
You can view Part Two by clicking on this sentence.
Episode 3 - When East Meets West
Andrew Graham-Dixon examines early Christian art and the reasons for its evolution during the Renaissance. He also reveals just how far modern artists have been influenced by the pre-perspective view of the world.