Calendar

This series of 10 half-hour programs shows how a painted image echos the spirit of its time and relates to a particular historic event. It reveals the poetic, sociological and political potential of the picture by penetrating inside the painting and examine the underlining details, thanks to work of computer graphics which livens up characters, objects and sets. Each film tells a fascinating story of a creator and the painting process

The Artist’s Studio (1855) by Gustave Courbet

27 min

Paris shone brightly in the second half of the 19th century, with its fashionable restaurants, cabarets and theatres, which provided the spectacle of a carefree society. The Industrial Revolution produced wealth, and fortunes were amassed and lost. Gustave Courbet's work “The Artist’s Studio” is politically involved and provocative, revealing his support for revolutionary movements and condemning Napoleon III's authoritarian regime. In addition to its critical dimension, the canvas has an air of mystery, and depicts contradictions. This film examines Courbet’s artistic development, contributions to Realism, challenge to the hierarchy of genre, and response to social and political events of his time

Bathers at Asnieres (1884) by Georges Seurat

27 min

At the end of the 19th century, Asnières resembled a seaside resort. The cheering crowd that came to attend the regattas animated the banks of the Seine, and the rowing club was always full. When he painted his canvas, Georges Seurat understood that his current era was turned towards a fascinating and ruthless religion: progress. Determined that art should not remain left out of these drastic changes underway, he invented pointillism. This film analyzes his ground breaking work in terms of industrialization, worker’s rights, new leisure activities, transportation infrastructure, and Paris development—as well as in terms of artistic influences, composition, and creativity.