R. Parsons
Narrator (voice)
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Series SeasonSeason 1 episodes1992
Hermitage Masterpieces
Season 1
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Episode 130 min1992-01-01
The Museum's Majestic Architecture
In 1763, Catherine the Great ordered an addition to St. Petersburg, Russia's Winter Palace. Catherine called the Neo-Classical construction her "Hermitage". Over 250 years and several building expansions later, these impressive buildings house over three million pieces of art and the museum is considered one of the best and most important in the world.
Episode 227 min1992-01-08
The Vast Sculpture Collection
The Hermitage is home to all manner of sculpture. This episode features Rococo-style porcelain and relief works; Renaissance era sculpture that borrowed mythical animal motifs from the ancients; and marble Neo-Classical sculptures, whose creators were inspired by art uncovered during the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the mid 18th Century.
Episode 328 min1992-01-15
Highlights of the Masterpieces
It was Catherine the Great who assembled the heart of the Hermitage's painting collection. The Hermitage boasts an unrivalled collection of paintings: Rembrandt's portraits, Nicholas Poussin's grandiose narrative paintings, Pissaro's urban landscapes, Dutch still lifes, and Jan Steen's genre painting, to name but a few.
Episode 429 min1992-01-22
Decorative Arts of Italy, France & England
A look at the decorative works collected in the Hermitage Museum: furnishings, tapestries, pottery, porcelains, and silver. We are shown examples from several periods and areas: the Italian Renaissance, Spanish Majolica, Venetian glassware, Baroque ornamentation, Rococo cabinets and the Neo-Classical style.
Episode 529 min1992-01-29
Art from Mesopotania to Ancient China
A look at the Hermitage's collection of art and artefacts from India, China, and Mesopotamia. All these pieces are of great value to scholars who continue to be fascinated by the ideals, dreams, and beliefs of these civilizations.
Episode 627 min1992-02-05
Russia in the Age of Peter the Great
An examination of how Peter the Great transformed a little-used territory of Swedish swampland into the bustling City of St. Petersburg, home to the Hermitage Museum. The story of Peter's rule and legacy, the awakening of the Russian imagination, is depicted in detail in reliefs by Rastrelli, and etchings by Alexi Zubov.
Episode 726 min1992-02-12
The Art of Ancient Egypt
Catherine the Great acquired the first Egyptian relics for the Hermitage, now home to a comprehensive collection of nearly 10,000 pieces, some dating as far back as 4,000 B.C.
Episode 825 min1992-02-19
The Classical World of Greece and Rome
Democracy, logic, mathematics, science, and philosophy were all invented by the Greeks. Their influence on Western Civilization cannot be overstated. Their art, depicting ideal love and beauty, continues to fascinate. Many of the pieces in the Hermitage, never before seen outside of Russia, are shown and discussed in detail in this episode.
Episode 927 min1992-02-26
Art of the Middle Ages
The Hermitage boasts an extensive collection of Middle Age art, spanning ten centuries, from the 5th to the 15th. This episode examines the Romanesque statues of the period, and shows some of the ornate liturgical objects used in the church. Though less prevalent during this period, there are also examples of secular art, such as a bronze statuette of a knight hunting, and armour from the time.
Episode 1028 min1992-03-04
Art of the Early Italian Renaissance
Discover the age of the powerful Medici family, the "Golden Age" of Florence and the innovative paintings of artist like Fra Angelico, Simone Martini and Fra Filippo Lippi.
Episode 1129 min1992-03-11
The High Italian Renaissance
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and the glittering array of Venetian painters produced works of miraculous originality and power. This brief period marks one of the highest peaks of the human spirit and artistic genius, and the collection of these works which you will see in the Hermitage is among the finest in the world.
Episode 1229 min1992-03-18
Art of the Netherlands: 15th & 16th Century
Trace the emergence of realism in the Netherlands as the elegant, aristocratic "International Style" gave way to dramatic light and brilliant color. A fresh, humanistic approach to painting was born, characterized by a new interest in portraiture and landscapes.
Episode 1328 min1992-03-25
17th Century Flemish Painting
The collection of Flemish and Dutch works housed in the Hermitage is now known around the world for its size and quality. Entrenched in Catholicism, these 17th century artists, such as Rubens and Van Dyck, painted in what became known as a Flemish Baroque style, which was extroverted and dynamic, inspired by heroic images from the antique age.
Episode 1428 min1992-04-01
Rembrandt & The 17th Century Dutch Masters
So vast is the Dutch collection of the Hermitage that one could trace this art's history solely from the works therein. The 17th Century saw a decline in patronage of the arts by church and state. Private collectors filled the void, and subject matter was changed to suit the new patrons who wanted portraits, landscapes, still-lifes, and genre paintings for their homes. We are also shown a selection of Rembrandt's work, outlining his movement towards a more Classical style.
Episode 1528 min1992-04-08
Velasquez, El Greco, Goya and the Spanish Masters
This episode examines the beginnings of Spanish Baroque painting. Religious paintings of the late 15th and early 16th centuries tackled questions of justice while the Inquisition went on around the artists. Some artists blossomed under Church patronage, others were persecuted as heretics. This episode shows works from artists such as Luis Morales, El Greco and Jose de Riebera.
Episode 1629 min1992-04-15
The French Classical Style of the 17th & 18th Centuries
Only because of Catherine the Great's desire to emulate the French Court was the Hermitage built as it was. As it stands now, it houses an unparalleled collection of 16th and 17th century French Classical works, with artists drawing on Greek and Roman myths for inspiration. At the end of the 18th century, we see the emergence of Romanticism, paintings stressing the awesome power and grandeur of nature.
Episode 1730 min1992-04-22
The Road to Impressionism: 19th Century France
It surprises some to discover that there are many Impressionist and Post Impressionist works in the Hermitage Museum by acknowledged masters such as Monet, Renoir, Pissaro, Degas, Van Gogh, Cezanne and Gauguin. This program covers the era from The Arts/Visual Arts French Academy Classical Style to the works of the Impressionists.
Episode 1826 min1992-04-29
Modernism: Matisse, Picasso & 20th Century Painting
At the dawn of the 20th century, the Impressionists were considered passé. In a critic at an exhibition in Paris described being amongst the pictures was as being amongst wild animals ("bêtes fauves" in French). The term Fauvism was born. In the Hermitage are works by André Derian, Kees van Dongen, and Henri Matisse.
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