The Private Life of a Masterpiece Season 4, Episode 2: Edgar Degas: The Little Dancer

Katsushika Hokusai: The Great Wave

Arguably the most recognisable image in Far Eastern art, this Japanese magnum opus is an accurate portrayal of the waves sailors swore they had encountered, despite universal scepticism. One of a series of wood-block prints begun in the 1820s by Katsushika Hokusai , then in his 70s, The Great Wave has a fascinating history that speaks volumes in the 21st century.

50 min

Vincent Van Gogh: The Sunflowers

Viewed as one of the most famous works of art in the world, few people know the history behind Vincent Van Gogh 's painting. Inspired by a bunch of flowers that the artist found lying in the gutter, Sunflowers became a personal favourite of the Dutch artist. A favourite so much that ten versions of the original were made, the first of which helped to form a fruitful yet ultimately fraught relationship with fellow artist Paul Gauguin. Revealing these stories and how Van Gogh 's passion for sunflowers followed him all the way to the grave, this documentary also looks to explain the enduring popularity behind the piece.

50 min

Pablo Picasso: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

"My Brothel" is the title Pablo Picasso gave to his depiction of five prostitutes - a painting that shocked even his friends when they first saw it. But how did the piece arise from a rivalry between Picasso and Matisse? What influences did Picasso draw on for his allegory of sex and death? And why does it remain revolutionary to this day?

James McNeill Whistler: Portrait of the Painter's Mother

Whistler's portrait of his elderly Puritan mother is one of the most satirised paintings of all time. Yet when his sombre masterpiece was first unveiled, it was seen as a radical departure from the sentimental images beloved of the Victorians, and which Whistler loathed. How did the portrait, born of Whistler's complex relationship with his mother, change the course of painting so drastically?