How Art Made the World

Latest Episodes

• Season 1 Episode 5: To Death and Back

  Nigel Spivey concludes the series by examining depictions of death, discussing the psychological reasons it has proven so fascinating throughout history. The programme features disturbing Aztec artwork and the oldest known images of Hell, and also considers the practice of commemorating the dead with photographs and memorials - as well as the use of death as a dramatic device

• Season 1 Episode 4: Once Upon a Time

  Nigel Spivey examines the evolution of visual storytelling, drawing parallels between ancient narrative artwork and modern movies. His journey takes him to Iraq, where he discovers how the Mesopotamian civilisation created the first recorded epic, carved on clay tablets. He also examines the images on Trajan's column in Rome, which uses methods similar to today's film-making techniques to document the emperor's life, and learns about the storytelling traditions of the Australian Aborigines

• Season 1 Episode 3: The Art of Persuasion

  Nigel Spivey discusses how rulers throughout history have used images to advance their own political ends, examining the artwork created by ancient kings and emperors to influence their people. His journey takes him from Stonehenge, where he discovers the first leader in Britain to use art for self-promotion, to the propaganda methods of Alexander the Great, before revealing the earliest evidence of a ruler deceiving his subjects through the power of imagery