Baroque In Britain

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0120130311

It's been called the 'art of extravagance', the ultimate expression of status, nationhood, and religious fervour. But for many, the word 'Baroque' will always evoke a southern European sky, the masterpieces of Caravaggio, Vivaldi, Borromini, and Bernini. So what of the British role in this? Do the words 'Britain' and 'Baroque' really belong together at all?

As part of 'Baroque Spring' on the BBC art historian Tim Marlow sets out to discover the essence of British Baroque, and the result of the collision of British reserve and our Protestant ethic on this most lavish of artforms. His journey takes him to many of the nation's greatest art treasures, including the summit of London's Monument built to commemorate the Great Fire, to the gargantuan 'Great Model' commissioned by Sir Christopher Wren as his vision of a St Paul's Cathedral which would never be, and also to snowy downs on the outskirts of Barnsley where a 'battle of the buildings' saw two houses try to outdo each other with the grandeur of their architectural projects. And to finish the week there's a glimpse of a Baroque shadow in today's Britain, courtesy of an extraordinary fantasy house built by sculptor Oriel Harwood to fulfil her own 21st-century dreams of spectacular art in the home.

To begin the series, Marlow takes the first of five snapshots in time. It's 30 January 1649 and at Whitehall Palace the nation's balance of power is about to shift momentously. As Charles I walks to his execution he catches one final view of a masterpiece above his head, Rubens's famed Banqueting House ceiling. A royal life may have been in its last seconds, but his influence as a connoisseur and curator of the very best art of his day was only just beginning to be realised.

30 January 1649, Charles I walks to his execution under Rubens's Banqueting House ceiling.

Tim Marlow explores Britain's response to Europe's most lavish art movement

0220130312

It's been called the 'art of extravagance', the ultimate expression of status, nationhood, and religious fervour. But for many, the word 'Baroque' will always evoke a southern European sky, the masterpieces of Caravaggio, Vivaldi, Borromini, and Bernini. So what of the British role in this? Do the words 'Britain' and 'Baroque' really belong together at all?

As part of 'Baroque Spring' on the BBC art historian Tim Marlow sets out to discover the essence of British Baroque, and the result of the collision of British reserve and our Protestant ethic on this most lavish of artforms. His journey takes him to many of the nation's greatest art treasures, including the summit of London's Monument built to commemorate the Great Fire, to the gargantuan 'Great Model' commissioned by Sir Christopher Wren as his vision of a St Paul's Cathedral which would never be, and also to snowy downs on the outskirts of Barnsley where a 'battle of the buildings' saw two houses try to outdo each other with the grandeur of their architectural projects. And to finish the week there's a glimpse of a Baroque shadow in today's Britain, courtesy of an extraordinary fantasy house built by sculptor Oriel Harwood to fulfil her own 21st-century dreams of spectacular art in the home.

To begin the series, Marlow takes the first of five snapshots in time. It's 30 January 1649 and at Whitehall Palace the nation's balance of power is about to shift momentously. As Charles I walks to his execution he catches one final view of a masterpiece above his head, Rubens's famed Banqueting House ceiling. A royal life may have been in its last seconds, but his influence as a connoisseur and curator of the very best art of his day was only just beginning to be realised.

Was the Great Fire of London a missed opportunity to create Europe's finest Baroque city?

Tim Marlow explores Britain's response to Europe's most lavish art movement

0320130313

He was our greatest Baroque musical hero, and yet Handel wasn't even British by birth. Tim Marlow and historian Ruth Smith travel back to 1711 and the premiere of the opera which was to launch the composer's stage career in England. But why did Italian music theatre in the hands of a German prove to be exactly what British audiences wanted to hear?

It's 1711, and an opera premiere by Handel is about to set a new course for British opera.

Tim Marlow explores Britain's response to Europe's most lavish art movement

0420130314

It's 1734, and a British diplomat has seen an expected inheritance slip through his fingers. But Thomas Wentworth is ready to put up a fight, in the shape of a 'battle of the buildings' with his Yorkshire rival. Tim Marlow visits the outskirts of Barnsley to explore the results, guided by historian Patrick Eyres.

It's 1734, and a 'battle of the buildings' breaks out on the outskirts of Barnsley.

Tim Marlow explores Britain's response to Europe's most lavish art movement

0520130315Might the Baroque still be with us? Tim Marlow meets the Baroque-inspired artists of today

Tim Marlow explores Britain's response to Europe's most lavish art movement