Great Artists with Tim Marlow (2) (2005)

Great Artists with Tim Marlow - Season TWO is a documentary film in 12 episodes. It was shown on British television (Channel 5) in 2005 and released on DVD in 2007. Here are some basic facts about it:

** Written and presented by Tim Marlow

** Producer: Phil Grabsky

** Directors: Phil Grabsky, Ben Harding & Andrew Hutton

** Musical score composed by Dimitri Tchamouroff

** Studio: Seventh Art Productions (2011)

** Language: English – no subtitles

** Run time: 12 x 23 minutes = 276 minutes

As stated above, there are 12 episodes. Each episode covers one artist. The episodes are arranged in chronological order, but you do not have to watch them from 1 to 12. Each episode can stand alone. This is why you can watch them in any order you want. 

 

Here are the names of the artists who are covered in this film:

DISC ONE

Episode # 01. Piero della Francesca (born 1413-1417; died 1492)

Episode # 02. Hans Holbein (the Younger) (1497 or 1498-1543)

Episode # 03. Caravaggio (1571-1610)

Episode # 04. George Stubbs (1724-1806)

Episode # 05. Goya (1746-1828)

Episode # 06. Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825)

DISC TWO

Episode # 07. John Constable (1776-1837)

Episode # 08. Delacroix (1798-1863)

Episode # 09. James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)

Episode # 10. François Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)

Episode # 11. Mary Stevenson Cassatt (1844-1926)

Episode # 12. Egon Schiele (1890-1918)

In each episode, the artist is placed in a historical context. Marlow is a professional presenter, who covers the life and career of the artist in question and shows us the major works of the artist in question.

Marlow visits the locations where the artist lived and worked, and (if needed) the location where his or her works are on display today. The program was filmed in more than forty locations – churches and galleries – in ten countries, including France, Italy, Morocco, and the US. Very impressive.

When Marlow shows us a painting, he helps us understand what we see. He has a good eye for details. They are pointed out and their significance is explained. Very instructive.

What do reviewers say about this program? 

 

On IMDb it has a rating of 90 per cent.

 

On Amazon UK there are 11 reviews of this product. 

 

The average rating is 4.8 stars, which corresponds to a rating of 96 percent.

I understand the positive reviews and I agree with most of them. There is much to like here, but I cannot go all the way to the top with this product. 

 

Why not?

While each episode can be described as excellent, things are different when I look at the film as a whole. When I do this, I have to say there is a flaw: with one exception, all artists chosen here are men! 

 

There is only one women in a selection of twelve artists, i.e. less than 10 per cent! This near-total exclusion of female artists is a flaw. A serious and significant flaw!

I like this film and I want to give it a good rating, but as you can see there is a flaw, which cannot be overlooked; which cannot be ignored. I have to remove one star because of this flaw. Therefore I think this film deserves a rating of four stars.

PS # 1. Regarding episode # 2 (Holbein): there is a great moment when Marlow presents the painting The Ambassadors.

 

An odd detail in the foreground cannot be understood when you are standing in front of the painting. You must move to the right and view the painting from another angle. 

 

When you do this, everything becomes clear. Now you can see what it is. Now you understand. This peculiar twist is explained and shown in a very elegant way.

PS # 2. Regarding episode # 6 (David): there is is a minor mistake when Marlow claims the Roman Republic was established in 508 BC. The date is wrong: the Roman Republic was established in 509 BC.

PS # 3. Regarding episode # 8 (Delacroix): there is a minor mistake when Marlow claims this artist died on 13 August 1862. The year is wrong. Delacroix died in 1863.

PS # 4. Regarding episode # 11 (Mary Cassatt):

(A) There is a minor mistake when Marlow claims this artist was born in May 1843. The year is wrong. Cassatt was born in 1844.

(B) Marlow says Cassatt worked closely with Degas, which is true. But he fails to tell us that there was also some friction between them. 

 

One reason was the fact that Degas suddenly cancelled a plan to set up a journal devoted to prints. 

 

Another reason was the Dreyfus affair. Cassatt was convinced Dreyfus was innocent, while Degas believed Dreyfus was guilty.

 

Cassatt was right. 

 

Degas was wrong.

PS # 5. A minor but general flaw: Marlow has difficulty pronouncing the name of the famous museum in Paris, the Louvre. 

 

He always says “the Louve.” Obviously, this place is mentioned several times. I do not understand why nobody told him to correct the pronunciation of this word.

PS # 6. Great Artists with Tim Marlow - Season ONE is a documentary film in 14 episodes. It was shown on British television (Channel 5) in 2001 and released on DVD in 2007. 

 

Are any female artists included here? No! Not even one! The selection of artists is completely one-sided. What a shame!

PS # 7. The Story of Women and Art is a documentary film in three episodes; written and presented by Amanda Vickery. It was shown on British television (BBC) in 2014 and released on DVD in 2015. Watch this film and you will see just how much Marlow missed!

*****

Tim Marlow 

 

(born 1963)

*****