Treasures of ancient Greece. The long shadow

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Summary

Is Ancient Greek art just a collection of elegant works of marble, framed by a love of democracy and enlightened reasoning? Far from it. Art critic and journalist Alastair Sooke demonstrates it is ...

Is Ancient Greek art just a collection of elegant works of marble, framed by a love of democracy and enlightened reasoning? Far from it. Art critic and journalist Alastair Sooke demonstrates it is in fact far more diverse and surprising -- a multi-cultural mix of styles, techniques and materials that left no subject matter unexplored. Filmed in sumptuous locations around the Mediterranean and across Europe, Alastair shows how a limited view of Ancient Greek art just does not hold up. His journey takes him from the bucolic beauty of early Minoan and Mycenaean art to striking works full of eroticism and drunken hedonism and culminates in some of the most breathtakingly exquisite art the world has ever seen. Considered, thoughtful and enthralling, this series offers a fresh understanding and new perspective on an incredible period of art. Alastair Sooke explores the extraordinary afterlife of the Greek masterpieces that changed the course of western culture. Succeeding centuries have found in ancient Greek art inspiration for their own ideals and ambitions. Filming in Italy, Germany, France and Britain, Alastair's investigation includes The Venus of Knidos, the first naked woman in western art, the bronze horses of St Mark's in Venice which became a pawn in an imperial game and the naked discus thrower, the Discobolus, personally bought by Adolf Hitler and used by him as a symbol of Aryan supremacy.

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