简介：WiththisnewseriesAndrewGraham-DixonreturnstoEuropetakingusonajourneyintothecaptivatingwateryworldoftheLowCountriesanditsart.ThissmallmyriadofregionswenowknowasHollandandBelgiumproducedsomeofthemostcelebratednamesinart:VanEyck,Bosch,Rembrandt,Rubens,Vermeer,VanGogh,MondrianandMagritte. AshetravelsbycanalboatandofcoursebybicycleAndrewrevealsjusthowimportanttheLowCountrieswereinkeymomentsinthedevelopmentofwesternculture-thebirthofoilpaintinginthelatemedievalages,thetriumphoftheDutchgoldenage,andtheonsetofpolarizingmodernartmovementssurrealismandabstraction. Thisisnotthestoryofonenation,butoffluid,ever-shiftingboundariesandthesearchforidentityinanareathathasalwaysbeenpoliticallycontested. EPISODEONE: ThefirstepisodewillbeabouthowtheartofRenaissanceFlandersevolvedfromthecraftofprecioustapestrieswithintheDuchyofBurgundyintoaleadingpaintingschoolinitsownright.StartinghisjourneyatthemagnificentaltarpieceofGhentCathedralcreatedbytheVanEyckbrothersAndrewexplainstheirgroundbreakinginnovationinoilpaintingandmarvelshowthecolourstheyobtainedcanstillremainsovibranttoday.AndrewwilldescribehowintheearlyRenaissancethemosturgentpreoccupationwasnottheadvancementoflearning,humanistorotherwise,buttheLastJudgment.Peoplebelievedtheywerelivingintheendofdays;asubjectpopularwithpreachersandartistsandintenselyrealizedinswarmingmicroscopicdetailbyHieronymusBosch. EPISODETWO: InthesecondepisodeAndrewexploreshowtheseeminglypeacefulcountriesofHollandandBelgium–famousfortheirtulipsandwindmills,musselsandchips-wereinfactforgedinacrucibleofconflictanddivision.HewillexaminehowaperiodofeconomicboomdrivenforthefirsttimebyaburgeoningandsecularmiddleclassledtotheDutchGoldenAgeofthe17thCentury.AndrewtravelstoDelftandAmsterdamtodemonstratethestrikingcontrastbetweentwoofitsgreatestproponents,RembrandtandVermeer(onefamedforhisbreathtakinglyrealisticdomesticstreetscenes,theotherforexplosiverapidbrushstrokesandrawcolours,bestexemplifiedinhiscontentiousmagnumopus–TheNightwatch.)Radicallydifferentinstyle,bothmenwereunitedbytherealizationthattheymustbecomeinnovatorsinbusinessaswellasmastersoftheircraft.Yetboomalsomeantbust-andinastorywithverymodernechoestheyultimatelysharedthesamefate,financialdestitution. EPISODETHREE: Followingabriefperiodofdecline,thethirdepisodewilllookathowtheentrepreneurialandindustriousregionoftheLowCountriesroseagaintobecomeaculturalleaderinthemodernage;howdespiteitssmallandapparentinsignificancewhenstoodupagainstthepowerhousesofEuropeitproducedimportantforwardthinkingartistslikeVanGogh,Mondrian,MagritteandDelvauxwhochangedthefaceofartforever.InthisepisodeAndrew’sexhilaratingjourneytakesustoaremotebeachinNorthWestHollandwhichinspiredMondrian’stransitiontohisnowrenownedabstractgridpaintings.…