Art That Made Us
An alternative history of the British Isles, told through art. Looking at 1,500 years and eight dramatic turning points, acclaimed artists and thinkers encounter key historic art works from across the UK that have shaped the history of the British Isles and inspired their own work.
The people behind the story
CAST
Episodes
8 episodes. Playback and audio depend on the available source.
0158 minS1:E1 Lights in the Darkness
Episode one immerses us in the turbulent era that followed the Roman occupation of Britain. After the Romans leave, waves of invasion reshape the Isles and their cultures: from glittering jewellery to carved stones to intricate manuscripts. Battles over identity and faith play out in art and culminate in the rise of a new vernacular language.
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0259 minS1:E2 Revolution of the Dead
Episode two traces an alternative history of the Black Death of the Middle Ages. From the chaos of the Black Death comes creative renewal; survivors finding their voice through satire and a revived literature in English, including breakthrough works by women, and through new craft in cathedral building and stained glass.
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0359 minS1:E3 Queens, Feuds and Faith
Episode three looks at the story of the 16th century religious revolution, as England and other parts of the British Isles turned to Protestantism.
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0458 minS1:E4 To Kill a King
A splintering of politics and religion in the British Isles under the Stuart kings leads to more questioning art, new science and architecture.
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0558 minS1:E5 Consumers and Conscience
In the 18th century, trade and conquest funds an explosion of creativity, and art stirs a growing social conscience.
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0658 minS1:E6 Rise of the Cities
With the industrial revolution transforming the British Isles, cities and country are divided and artists respond to the upheaval to lives and the landscape.
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0759 minS1:E7 Wars and Peace
The world wars force artists to grapple with destruction and savagery, challenging conventions and the old imperial order, while those fleeing war bring new ideas to Britain.
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0859 minS1:E8 Brilliant Isles
In the final episode of the series, an explosion of new voices from across the British Isles reinvents the arts, creating a richer, more diverse culture.
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