The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One

BBC One is a TV channel that started broadcasting on the 20th April 1964. It replaced BBC Television.

BBC 1

BBC1

BBC One South

BBC Two Scotland

BBC Two Northern Ireland

Until 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales (analogue) was known simply as BBC Two Wales. BBC Two Wales (digital) was BBC 2W. From 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales schedules on both analogue and digital became identical

BBC Two Wales

BBC Two England

England

Matthew Collings

Neil Crombie

What Is Beauty?

Documentaries

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

14/11/2009

BBC Two - What Is Beauty?

Matthew Collings asks whether beauty is a matter of taste or a more universal concept.

Artist and writer Matthew Collings studies ten of his favourite beauty experiences in the history of art, and asks whether beauty is a matter of taste or a more universal concept.

Documentary in which artist and writer Matthew Collings explores the concept of beauty in art. Is beauty only in the eye of the beholder, or is there something more universal we can say about it?

Collings takes the viewer on a sumptuously illustrated tour of 10 of his favourite beauty experiences from the history of art. The works of art he chooses each illustrate one of the timeless principles which he believes underpin and explain the rush of pleasure we get from beautiful art. They are all art experiences which he has loved for many years, but in this film he explores with each artwork what it is that is making their particular kind of beauty happen. Collings's personal list inspires some big questions about why art matters to us, and aims to get viewers thinking and arguing about what their own personal Top 10 might look like.

The 10 art experiences range right across history, from the prehistoric cave art of the Dordogne to the hi-tech super-modernity of a Norman Foster-designed bridge in southern France, and from some of the indisputable masterpieces of the Renaissance to the much more debatable pleasures of contemporary art. Collings leaps fearlessly across history, making unexpected and revelatory comparisons between the art of different eras, and helping us to see the principles that underlie them.

Collings's list includes works by Piero della Francesca, Michelangelo, Magritte, Gauguin and American artist Robert Rauschenberg, amongst others.

BBC Two

BBC Two is a TV channel that started broadcasting on the 20th April 1964.

BBC 2

BBC2

BBC Two is a lively channel of depth and substance, carrying a range of knowledge-building programming complemented by great drama, comedy and arts.

The BBC West region started on 1st September 1957 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One West.

BBC One West

The BBC South West region started on 20th April 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South West.

BBC One South West

BBC One London

London

BBC One West Midlands

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East

BBC One North West

The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One Yorkshire

BBC One Oxfordshire

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region that included London and part of the South region. Separated from BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One South East

BBC One Cambridgeshire

BBC One Channel Islands

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

BBC One Scotland

Scotland

BBC Northern Ireland region started on 19th April 1955 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One Northern Ireland.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

What Is Beauty?

Contributors

Genres

Formats

BBC One South

About BBC One