Civilisation

Season

1969

UK

8.7

TV-G

An extraordinary cultural tour through the centuries. Kenneth Clark's landmark 1969 series, offering his personal perspective on the history of western art and philosophy.

Episode List

S1 • E1

The Skin of Our Teeth

The first program in this 13-part documentary series covers the Dark Ages, from AD400 to AD1000.

S1 • E2

The Great Thaw

The sudden re-awakening of European civilisation in the 12th century is traced by Sir Kenneth Clarke to its high point - the building of the Cathedral of Chartres.

S1 • E3

Romance and Reality

Sir Kenneth Clark explores the aspirations and achievements of the gothic world, on a journey from a castle on the river Loire in France to the cathedral baptistry at Pisa in Italy.

S1 • E4

Man: The Measure of All Things

Kenneth Clarke visits the Italian palaces of Urbino and Mantua, which were centers of the Renaissance.

S1 • E5

The Hero as Artist

Kenneth Clarke visits Papal Rome to explore the work of 16th-century artists Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci.

S1 • E6

Protest and Communication

Examining protest and communication, Kenneth Clarke explores the Reformation - Luther and Durer's Germany, and Shakespeare's England.

S1 • E7

Grandeur and Obedience

Kenneth Clarke discusses the glory of Rome during the Counter-Reformation.

S1 • E8

The Light of Experience

Kenneth Clarke discusses the importance of light in 17th-century Dutch painting, and the rapid pace of scientific discovery in the London of the Royal Society.