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Hi, I’m Rick Steves, here with 
a fascinating chapter

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in the long and inspirational 
story of Europe's art.

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In this hour, we're venturing 
into the age of

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divine kings, 
fancy fountains, Revolution,

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and a splash of Napoleon.

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This is the Art of Baroque and 
Neoclassical Europe.

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Thanks for joining us.

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♪♪

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♪♪

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♪♪

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For two centuries -- 
roughly 1600 to 1800 --

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Europe's rulers held onto 
the old medieval order,

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while new ideas bubbled 
beneath the surface.

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These tensions -- conservative 
versus progressive --

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would produce astonishing art --

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from deeply religious 
to boldly secular...

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from patriotic to playful...

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from Baroque to Neoclassical.

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For some historic background,

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we'll start with 
the religious struggles

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that eventually split Europe 
into two camps,

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each with its own 
distinct culture --

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the exuberant art 
of Catholic elites...

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and the sober art 
of Protestant merchants.

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We'll see how France 
with its divine-right kings

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and their art emerged as 
the center of European culture.

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And how excessive 
royal decadence

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led to violent Revolution.

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♪♪

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And finally how 
a dashing general

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would set Europe on a bold 
course toward the future.

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♪♪

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The roots of Baroque 
go back to the 1500s,

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to the turmoil 
of the Protestant Reformation.

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People were questioning Europe's 
most powerful institution --

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the Roman Catholic Church.

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This was big news 
and art, the media of the day,

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told the story.

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When a German monk 
named Martin Luther

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hammered 95 points 
for debate on this door,

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he opened a Pandora's Box 
of issues --

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from Church corruption

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to the role of art in religion

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to the legitimacy of the pope --

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unleashing long-pent-up 
frustrations.

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♪♪

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Soon, the protesters -- 
called Protestants --

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were breaking away from 
the traditional Catholic Church.

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This religious revolution, 
called the Reformation,

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plunged Europe into 
a century-long series of wars.

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Each side expressed its intense 
passion through its art --

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Here, a Catholic nun wails on 
a bunch of sinful Protestants

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while a determined cherub rips 
pages from a Protestant book

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and an angel wrestles 
with the "serpent of heresy."

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For their part, Protestants 
took over Catholic churches

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and purged them 
of Catholic iconography.

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These iconoclasts destroyed 
statues of saints

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and whitewashed 
all they disdained.

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Churches were converted 
to fit Protestant values --

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preaching -- from 
a prominent pulpit,

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and music -- 
with thunderous pipe organs.

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[ Organ playing ]

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People had to choose -- 
am I Protestant or Catholic?

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These worried saints --

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with a Bible in one hand 
and a sword in the other --

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capture the tension 
of the times.

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Art was weaponized.

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Here, St. Michael, on Team Rome,

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hurls Lucifer out of heaven 
sending a clear message --

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Protestants who rise up against 
the Church shall be crushed.

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This nondescript building 
hid a Catholic church.

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In Protestant lands, Catholic 
citizens were forced to worship

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at low-profile churches 
like this -- a plain exterior

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hiding a small 
yet beautiful church inside

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complete with the rudiments of 
Catholic worship in miniature.

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This religious divide 
turned political.

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In England, King Henry VIII 
broke with the pope,

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confiscated Catholic lands, 
and destroyed monasteries.

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Violence flared.

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In Catholic Spain, the Church 
Inquisition arrested, tortured,

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and executed countless 
Protestants, Jews,

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and anyone they considered 
heretics --

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burning many at the stake.

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And in Germany, 
6,000 peasants --

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armed with little more 
than shovels --

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were slaughtered 
in a single battle.

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Artists captured the misery 
and the epic scale.

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As religious wars spread,

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nearly a third 
of all Germans died.

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War crimes became commonplace,

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with each side convinced 
that God was on their side

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and that they were fighting 
the devil himself.

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Paintings show how most 
of Europe was at war...

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swept up by powerful forces...

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as if the fighting 
might go on forever.

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♪♪

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After decades of war, in 1648,

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an exhausted Europe 
reached an uneasy peace

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that enabled Protestants 
and Catholics to co-exist.

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But it left Europe 
split into two camps --

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Protestants mainly 
in the northern countries,

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Catholics in the south --

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each with its own culture 
and style of art.

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The art of the day was Baroque

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and it fit 
Catholic lands perfectly.

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The Baroque style -- 
with its bright colors...

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big canvases...

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dramatic statues...

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exuberant architecture...

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and over-the-top 
ornamentation --

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appealed to the emotions.

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Put it all together -- as 
Baroque artists loved to do --

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and the ensemble packed 
a powerful message.

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After all this turmoil,

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Catholic Europe 
craved stability,

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and the Baroque message 
was pro status quo --

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obey the pope 
and the established order...

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and things'll be okay.

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It's no wonder Baroque

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was the favored style 
of Catholic rulers.

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♪♪

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The Baroque style 
flourished in Rome,

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especially at the Vatican,

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the headquarters 
of the Catholic faith.

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Art became a tool of the Church.

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To help reinvigorate the faith

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and counter 
the Protestant Reformation,

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churches were made 
more welcoming --

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with bright, spacious interiors 
and dazzling art.

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Art that made complicated 
theology easier to understand.

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The grand church of St. Peter's

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was decorated 
in the Baroque style

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to make a statement.

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The message -- 
to proclaim the legitimacy

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of the Roman Catholic faith 
as the one true faith

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and the pope as its leader.

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The altar radiates 
these Catholic ideals,

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with sunlight pouring 
like the Holy Spirit

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through its alabaster window --

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illuminating the symbolic 
throne of the first pope,

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St. Peter, 
and all the popes since.

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With its sheer size -- 
600 feet long,

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big enough for thousands 
of worshippers...

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colossal cupids...

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and massive Baroque canopy,

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St. Peter's has given centuries 
of pilgrims and worshippers

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a glimpse of the heaven 
that awaited them...

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if they stayed true 
to the faith.

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Catholic worshippers 
were comforted

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by endearing images 
of the Virgin Mary, or Madonna.

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This eternally-patient and 
loving figure took many forms --

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from sweet and motherly 
to direct and accessible

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to the protector 
of the faithful.

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Wrapped in warm colors 
and soft light,

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this Madonna embodies 
the Catholic belief

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that Mary was born 
completely pure --

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conceived "immaculately."

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Art could convey that notion 
more powerfully

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than any highfalutin 
Church declaration.

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Baroque artists 
even helped the faithful

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experience the miraculous,

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depicting otherworldly visions

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in a believable, 
down-to-earth way --

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illustrating the intense 
religious devotion of the age.

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By the way, you'll notice that 
European art through the ages

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is clearly dominated 
by Christian themes.

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That's because, back then,

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life was permeated 
with religious concerns.

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But while the Bible stories 
stayed the same,

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the art that told them 
changed through the centuries --

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Take for example 
the Annunciation --

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This earlier 
Gothic style depiction

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communicates more with symbols

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while this later Renaissance 
version is more realistic.

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And Baroque artists, 
they'd make their points

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with more drama and emotion.

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The art and architecture 
of this age

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was also a powerful 
political tool.

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The kings and queens of the day

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claimed they were ordained 
by God to rule without question.

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These so called 
"divine monarchs"

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used art as propaganda --

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to convince their subjects 
that their authority was legit.

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This magnificent German palace, 
in Wurzburg

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was home to the so-called 
"prince-bishop."

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He was a ruler with both secular 
and religious power.

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It was built 
in the Baroque style

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and decorated in the even 
frillier Rococo style

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that followed.

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As VIP guests arrived,

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they'd glide gracefully 
up the stairway,

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inspired by a grand fresco 
as it opened up overhead.

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The prince-bishop was the center 
of the cosmos,

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honored by the Greek gods,

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and ruler of the four 
great continents...

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...including a bare-chested 
figure of America...

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seated on an alligator...

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at a rowdy cannibal barbecue.

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And lady Europe points her brush 
to the center of all culture...

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the capital of his realm... 
Wurzburg.

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♪♪

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Palaces of this age 
feature grandiose architecture

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with decoration 
that abhors a straight line

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and is full of motion.

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Artists used mirrors 
and lavish gilding

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to enliven interiors.

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They were masters of 
three-dimensional illusion --

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using all the tricks

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from painting mathematically 
correct architecture

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to fake shadows

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all to give a believable sense 
of 3-D reality.

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Again, art of this period 
was pure marketing,

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paid for and serving 
either the Church or the State,

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or -- in the 
Prince-Bishop's case...both.

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Here, the bishop is being 
empowered

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by the imperial scepter,

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reminding all that he was part

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of a divinely ordained 
and secular chain of command.

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In Vienna, the powerful 
Habsburg family --

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rulers of a vast empire --

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also impressed the masses 
with their imposing palaces

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while reinforcing their alliance 
with the Catholic faith

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with magnificent churches.

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Saint Charles Church 
is classic Baroque --

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grand columns, stately pediment, 
and an elliptical dome.

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♪♪

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Ascending into the clouds 
with cupids and angels,

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you notice a trick 
the artist employed --

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he warped the perspective

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understanding that 
his images would be seen

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not from straight on

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but from far below 
and at an angle.

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As always, the art 
had a purpose --

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teaching...or advertising -- 
depending on your perspective.

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Here, Faith, Hope, Charity,

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and Catholic priests 
triumph and inspire --

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while Protestants 
and their trouble-making books

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are trashed.

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At the very top is the dove 
of the Holy Spirit,

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surrounded by a cheering squad 
of sweet-lipped cupids...

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a grand Baroque vision of 
how all was right with the world

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thanks to their enthusiastically 
Catholic rulers.

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Big, colorful, and melodramatic, 
Baroque art was also well suited

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to the luxury-loving 
tastes of aristocrats.

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Though they were 
devoted Christians,

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they also considered 
themselves enlightened

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and celebrated the classical -- 
or pre-Christian --

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world of ancient 
Greece and Rome.

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So, besides religious themes, 
they enjoyed secular scenes --

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like epic tales 
of classical mythology.

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Baroque art could be 
surprisingly risqué.

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There's lots of flesh,

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violence and rippling motion,

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intense passion, lots of trauma,

255
00:12:56,866 --> 00:13:01,300
and -- a sure sign of Baroque -- 
pudgy winged babies.

256
00:13:01,366 --> 00:13:03,866
♪♪

257
00:13:03,933 --> 00:13:07,166
A great pioneer of Baroque 
was the dynamic Italian

258
00:13:07,233 --> 00:13:10,000
named Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

259
00:13:10,066 --> 00:13:12,500
Known as "The Michelangelo 
of Baroque,"

260
00:13:12,566 --> 00:13:14,366
Bernini could do it all...

261
00:13:14,433 --> 00:13:16,633
he was a great sculptor...

262
00:13:16,700 --> 00:13:17,866
a painter...

263
00:13:17,933 --> 00:13:21,066
and a ground-breaking 
architect --

264
00:13:21,133 --> 00:13:23,733
he designed St. Peter's Square.

265
00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:25,766
♪♪

266
00:13:25,833 --> 00:13:28,766
Embracing the theatrical nature 
of Baroque art,

267
00:13:28,833 --> 00:13:32,066
Bernini turned this chapel 
into a theater.

268
00:13:32,133 --> 00:13:34,866
In fact, the members of 
the family who paid for the art

269
00:13:34,933 --> 00:13:37,900
got to look on from the VIP box.

270
00:13:37,966 --> 00:13:41,333
Using all his artistic tools 
and 3-D tricks --

271
00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:46,800
Bernini invigorates reality 
with emotion.

272
00:13:46,866 --> 00:13:50,333
Center stage, an angel pierces 
St. Teresa's heart

273
00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,233
with a heavenly arrow.

274
00:13:52,300 --> 00:13:55,633
As the saint famously 
described her ecstasy --

275
00:13:55,700 --> 00:13:59,000
"The pain was so sharp 
that I cried aloud.

276
00:13:59,066 --> 00:14:03,933
But so delightful that I wished 
it would last forever."

277
00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,100
♪♪

278
00:14:08,666 --> 00:14:10,666
At this elegant Roman mansion,

279
00:14:10,733 --> 00:14:14,066
Bernini sculpted several 
masterpieces for his patron,

280
00:14:14,133 --> 00:14:16,900
a wealthy cardinal 
who invested in great art

281
00:14:16,966 --> 00:14:20,033
meant to decorate 
these very rooms.

282
00:14:20,100 --> 00:14:23,166
Bernini, employing both genius 
and chisel,

283
00:14:23,233 --> 00:14:27,000
masterfully brought 
marble to life.

284
00:14:27,066 --> 00:14:32,500
His  Rape of Persephone 
packs a dramatic punch.

285
00:14:32,566 --> 00:14:35,900
Persephone's entire body 
seems to scream for help

286
00:14:35,966 --> 00:14:40,333
as evil Pluto drags his catch 
into the underworld.

287
00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,233
♪♪

288
00:14:43,300 --> 00:14:47,333
His three-headed dog 
howls triumphantly.

289
00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,200
♪♪

290
00:14:49,266 --> 00:14:53,300
Bernini's  Apollo and Daphne 
is quintessential Baroque

291
00:14:53,366 --> 00:14:56,400
in how it captures 
a dramatic moment --

292
00:14:56,466 --> 00:14:59,033
Apollo -- happily wounded 
by Cupid's arrow --

293
00:14:59,100 --> 00:15:03,666
chases Daphne, who's saved 
by turning into a tree.

294
00:15:03,733 --> 00:15:05,933
Bernini captures 
the instant when,

295
00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,600
just as Apollo's 
about to catch Daphne,

296
00:15:08,666 --> 00:15:11,366
her fingers turn to leaves...

297
00:15:11,433 --> 00:15:13,633
♪♪

298
00:15:13,700 --> 00:15:16,000
...her toes sprout roots...

299
00:15:16,066 --> 00:15:20,266
and Apollo is in 
for one rude surprise.

300
00:15:20,333 --> 00:15:23,066
The statue -- 
as much air as stone --

301
00:15:23,133 --> 00:15:26,733
makes a supernatural event 
seem real.

302
00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,900
This pre-Christian scene -- 
while plenty fleshy --

303
00:15:29,966 --> 00:15:32,733
comes with 
a church-pleasing moral --

304
00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:38,166
chasing earthly pleasures leads 
only to pain and frustration.

305
00:15:38,233 --> 00:15:40,066
♪♪

306
00:15:40,133 --> 00:15:42,366
By the way, to appreciate 
the boldness

307
00:15:42,433 --> 00:15:46,100
of Bernini's Baroque style, 
compare his version of David

308
00:15:46,166 --> 00:15:50,600
with Michelangelo's Renaissance 
David from a century earlier.

309
00:15:50,666 --> 00:15:54,700
Michelangelo's is poised, 
balanced, and thoughtful --

310
00:15:54,766 --> 00:15:58,133
perfect for the cerebral 
Renaissance era.

311
00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:01,633
Bernini's, on the other hand, 
is a Baroque action figure --

312
00:16:01,700 --> 00:16:03,500
his whole body wound 
like a spring

313
00:16:03,566 --> 00:16:05,566
as he prepares 
to slay the giant --

314
00:16:05,633 --> 00:16:09,600
showing the energy of the age.

315
00:16:09,666 --> 00:16:12,166
Bernini was a brash 
young man of 25

316
00:16:12,233 --> 00:16:13,933
when he sculpted this --

317
00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:18,933
and the determined face 
of David is his own.

318
00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,433
Bernini inspired 
a generation of artists

319
00:16:21,500 --> 00:16:25,100
whose work is found 
throughout Rome.

320
00:16:25,166 --> 00:16:30,633
In fact, the city of Rome itself 
is like a Baroque work of art.

321
00:16:30,700 --> 00:16:32,600
Its great churches sport façades

322
00:16:32,666 --> 00:16:35,100
with trend-setting 
Baroque elements --

323
00:16:35,166 --> 00:16:38,166
classical columns 
on a gargantuan scale,

324
00:16:38,233 --> 00:16:40,033
showy pediments and arches,

325
00:16:40,100 --> 00:16:43,000
and straight lines 
broken by dips, curls,

326
00:16:43,066 --> 00:16:46,233
and decorative medallions.

327
00:16:46,300 --> 00:16:47,600
Interiors, of course,

328
00:16:47,666 --> 00:16:51,933
are also decorated to the hilt 
in the Baroque style.

329
00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:53,766
You hardly know where to look.

330
00:16:53,833 --> 00:16:57,766
Every inch is slathered 
with ornamentation --

331
00:16:57,833 --> 00:16:59,333
oh-wow spiral columns

332
00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,833
framing scenes 
that almost jump to life --

333
00:17:02,900 --> 00:17:05,900
cupids doing flip flops,

334
00:17:05,966 --> 00:17:09,033
explosive gilded starbursts

335
00:17:09,100 --> 00:17:12,200
and ceilings opening up 
into the heavens...

336
00:17:12,266 --> 00:17:15,333
it's all glorious Baroque.

337
00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:19,166
♪♪

338
00:17:19,233 --> 00:17:21,233
By the way. Here's a tip --

339
00:17:21,300 --> 00:17:24,200
For years, I saw 
these lavish Baroque churches

340
00:17:24,266 --> 00:17:26,700
through the eyes 
of an earnest Protestant.

341
00:17:26,766 --> 00:17:29,766
But then I learned to check 
my Lutheran bias at the door

342
00:17:29,833 --> 00:17:31,700
and try to see it 
as a Catholic would...

343
00:17:31,766 --> 00:17:33,600
much more enjoyable.

344
00:17:33,666 --> 00:17:35,500
Baroque is best appreciated

345
00:17:35,566 --> 00:17:38,666
when you put yourself 
in a 17th-century mind-set.

346
00:17:38,733 --> 00:17:42,533
In fact, by experiencing the art 
of any period on its terms,

347
00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:47,766
in the context of its age, 
it becomes easier to appreciate.

348
00:17:47,833 --> 00:17:50,033
The exuberance 
of the Baroque age

349
00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:52,900
even spills out 
into the streets.

350
00:17:52,966 --> 00:17:55,800
Piazza Navona, 
a festival of Roman life,

351
00:17:55,866 --> 00:17:59,800
is dominated by 
this curvaceous façade.

352
00:17:59,866 --> 00:18:03,266
Its playful oval domes 
overlook a fountain by...

353
00:18:03,333 --> 00:18:05,733
you guessed it -- Bernini.

354
00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:07,766
Fountains -- so full of energy

355
00:18:07,833 --> 00:18:09,866
and effectively 
harnessing nature --

356
00:18:09,933 --> 00:18:13,666
were a favorite 
with Baroque artists.

357
00:18:13,733 --> 00:18:15,800
Nearby, the famed Trevi Fountain

358
00:18:15,866 --> 00:18:19,066
is a bubbly Baroque avalanche 
that seems purpose-built

359
00:18:19,133 --> 00:18:22,733
for today's Roman 
embrace of life.

360
00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,500
Immersed in history, art, 
and partying under the stars,

361
00:18:26,566 --> 00:18:28,633
people toss a coin 
over their shoulder

362
00:18:28,700 --> 00:18:33,466
to assure their return 
to this eternal city.

363
00:18:33,533 --> 00:18:35,100
That may sound silly,

364
00:18:35,166 --> 00:18:37,800
but with every visit, 
I go through the ritual

365
00:18:37,866 --> 00:18:40,566
and it works!

366
00:18:40,633 --> 00:18:47,133
♪♪

367
00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,433
Also in Rome 
around the year 1600,

368
00:18:49,500 --> 00:18:52,133
a rebellious young artist 
named Caravaggio

369
00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:54,500
was inspiring 
a new generation of artists

370
00:18:54,566 --> 00:18:56,633
with his stark realism.

371
00:18:56,700 --> 00:19:00,366
He lived hard and spent much of 
his life running from the law.

372
00:19:00,433 --> 00:19:04,800
While he died young, Caravaggio 
was hugely influential.

373
00:19:04,866 --> 00:19:08,366
With stark lighting, Caravaggio 
created a film-noir world

374
00:19:08,433 --> 00:19:10,766
of harsh glare and deep shadows,

375
00:19:10,833 --> 00:19:14,066
throwing an unflattering light 
on his subjects.

376
00:19:14,133 --> 00:19:16,433
♪♪

377
00:19:16,500 --> 00:19:20,533
Even his sacred scenes looked 
like rugged Roman street life,

378
00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:24,566
with a gritty realism --

379
00:19:24,633 --> 00:19:28,833
saints with bald, 
wrinkled foreheads,

380
00:19:28,900 --> 00:19:31,700
tattered coats,

381
00:19:31,766 --> 00:19:34,500
dirty feet,

382
00:19:34,566 --> 00:19:37,433
ordinary, plain-Jane madonnas...

383
00:19:37,500 --> 00:19:40,866
♪♪

384
00:19:40,933 --> 00:19:43,600
...and a restless energy.

385
00:19:43,666 --> 00:19:53,266
♪♪

386
00:19:53,333 --> 00:19:55,600
Caravaggio's David 
slaying the giant

387
00:19:55,666 --> 00:20:00,533
is no noble Renaissance hero 
but a sassy teenager.

388
00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,133
The lighting is stark 
and dramatic...

389
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,000
and the details are gruesome.

390
00:20:07,066 --> 00:20:10,866
David literally shoves 
the harsh reality in our face...

391
00:20:10,933 --> 00:20:12,266
and Goliath's head?

392
00:20:12,333 --> 00:20:16,200
It's none other 
than Caravaggio himself.

393
00:20:16,266 --> 00:20:18,266
♪♪

394
00:20:18,333 --> 00:20:21,233
In the same generation, 
farther north, here in Belgium,

395
00:20:21,300 --> 00:20:23,633
the most prolific 
and influential Baroque painter

396
00:20:23,700 --> 00:20:25,733
was Peter Paul Rubens.

397
00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:27,333
A favorite of Europe's wealthy,

398
00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:30,600
Rubens painted extravagant 
scenes with a dynamism

399
00:20:30,666 --> 00:20:33,900
that has come to define 
the Baroque style --

400
00:20:33,966 --> 00:20:36,366
Well-traveled, cultured, 
and confident,

401
00:20:36,433 --> 00:20:40,100
Rubens exemplified 
the exuberance of the age.

402
00:20:40,166 --> 00:20:41,933
Running his studio 
like a factory,

403
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:46,966
he cranked out a steady stream 
of high-energy canvases.

404
00:20:47,033 --> 00:20:48,933
He'd start with a rough sketch

405
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,333
and he'd give that to his 
assistants in his studio

406
00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:54,066
and they would paint 
the massive canvas.

407
00:20:54,133 --> 00:20:55,600
When it was just about done,

408
00:20:55,666 --> 00:20:58,266
Rubens would come back in 
and give it what they called

409
00:20:58,333 --> 00:21:01,200
"the fury of the brush" -- 
a little twinkle in the eye...

410
00:21:01,266 --> 00:21:03,366
a little glimmer there... 
a little light there.

411
00:21:03,433 --> 00:21:06,266
When he was satisfied, 
another Rubens masterpiece

412
00:21:06,333 --> 00:21:09,233
was shipped off 
to his wealthy patrons.

413
00:21:09,300 --> 00:21:12,233
♪♪

414
00:21:12,300 --> 00:21:16,700
Rubens painted anything 
that would raise your pulse --

415
00:21:16,766 --> 00:21:18,633
battles,

416
00:21:18,700 --> 00:21:22,166
miracles,

417
00:21:22,233 --> 00:21:24,166
hunts

418
00:21:24,233 --> 00:21:27,600
and especially, 
fleshy "Rubenesque" women

419
00:21:27,666 --> 00:21:30,566
with rosy cheeks and dimples.

420
00:21:30,633 --> 00:21:32,566
♪♪

421
00:21:32,633 --> 00:21:34,366
Expert at composition,

422
00:21:34,433 --> 00:21:37,633
Rubens could arrange 
a teeming tangle of many figures

423
00:21:37,700 --> 00:21:41,400
into a harmonious ensemble.

424
00:21:41,466 --> 00:21:45,000
In this Greek myth, 
when lecherous half-human satyrs

425
00:21:45,066 --> 00:21:46,700
crash a party of nymphs,

426
00:21:46,766 --> 00:21:51,300
the action unfolds as satyrs 
chase and women flee...

427
00:21:51,366 --> 00:21:54,133
it's a horrible crescendo 
of violence...

428
00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,433
a cresting wave of flailing 
limbs and chaotic figures

429
00:21:57,500 --> 00:22:00,500
that threatens to crash 
over the poor nymphs...

430
00:22:00,566 --> 00:22:04,700
until the fierce goddess Diana, 
the huntress, plants her feet

431
00:22:04,766 --> 00:22:08,966
and makes a brave stand 
to save the day.

432
00:22:09,033 --> 00:22:11,700
In his Baroque take 
on this classical theme,

433
00:22:11,766 --> 00:22:14,566
Rubens amps up 
the traditional Three Graces

434
00:22:14,633 --> 00:22:16,566
to plus-size splendor.

435
00:22:16,633 --> 00:22:18,266
Amid a flowery garden,

436
00:22:18,333 --> 00:22:20,866
he skillfully captures 
their glowing skin

437
00:22:20,933 --> 00:22:23,266
and rippling curves.

438
00:22:23,333 --> 00:22:26,066
With graceful limbs, 
the women intertwine,

439
00:22:26,133 --> 00:22:27,600
creating a rhythmic line,

440
00:22:27,666 --> 00:22:32,300
echoed by the meaningful glances 
they exchange.

441
00:22:32,366 --> 00:22:35,600
One Grace is none other 
than Rubens' own wife,

442
00:22:35,666 --> 00:22:39,533
whose sweet face appears in 
many of his canvases.

443
00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:41,533
♪♪

444
00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:45,633
Rubens was equally adept 
at religious scenes.

445
00:22:45,700 --> 00:22:47,800
When the Magi visited 
the Christ child,

446
00:22:47,866 --> 00:22:51,066
all the adoring gazes -- 
the Wise Men up one way...

447
00:22:51,133 --> 00:22:52,700
the angels down the other...

448
00:22:52,766 --> 00:22:55,200
are directed to the focus 
of the scene --

449
00:22:55,266 --> 00:22:58,566
a radiant baby Jesus.

450
00:22:58,633 --> 00:23:02,533
Baroque artists certainly knew 
how to satisfy their patrons.

451
00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:05,433
Whether powering the Church's 
message both in grand ways...

452
00:23:05,500 --> 00:23:07,266
or intimate ways...

453
00:23:07,333 --> 00:23:11,800
making ancient myths 
and legends come to life...

454
00:23:11,866 --> 00:23:14,666
inflating the egos 
of the powerful...

455
00:23:14,733 --> 00:23:17,866
or just capturing a wild 
and crazy party,

456
00:23:17,933 --> 00:23:23,633
for Baroque artists, life was 
always filled with drama.

457
00:23:23,700 --> 00:23:25,666
By the way, the music 
of this period --

458
00:23:25,733 --> 00:23:28,566
Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, they 
all lived at the same time --

459
00:23:28,633 --> 00:23:30,600
is like Bernini for your ears.

460
00:23:30,666 --> 00:23:32,866
We've been talking 
about the visual arts.

461
00:23:32,933 --> 00:23:34,733
But I like to remember 
that all the arts --

462
00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,300
and that includes music -- 
are in sync.

463
00:23:37,366 --> 00:23:40,066
They hold hands as they walk 
through the ages.

464
00:23:40,133 --> 00:23:42,833
In terms of Baroque music, 
you're likely to hear

465
00:23:42,900 --> 00:23:45,800
two melodies dancing together 
like this Bach invention...

466
00:23:45,866 --> 00:23:54,766
♪♪

467
00:23:54,833 --> 00:23:58,000
And another feature of Baroque 
is ornamentation.

468
00:23:58,066 --> 00:24:00,866
And in music that means trills.

469
00:24:00,933 --> 00:24:02,733
Check out this Scarlatti...

470
00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:08,866
♪♪

471
00:24:08,933 --> 00:24:14,966
♪♪

472
00:24:15,033 --> 00:24:16,600
Boy, if you're gonna 
play Baroque music...

473
00:24:16,666 --> 00:24:19,733
it's good to have ruffles 
on your sleeves.

474
00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:23,166
♪♪

475
00:24:23,233 --> 00:24:27,200
The Baroque style dominated much 
of Europe throughout this age.

476
00:24:27,266 --> 00:24:28,400
Whether it was found

477
00:24:28,466 --> 00:24:30,966
in the highly ornamented music 
of the day...

478
00:24:31,033 --> 00:24:37,133
♪♪

479
00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,266
its grandiose churches...

480
00:24:39,333 --> 00:24:41,966
♪♪

481
00:24:42,033 --> 00:24:45,666
over-the-top palaces...

482
00:24:45,733 --> 00:24:48,633
dramatic statues...

483
00:24:48,700 --> 00:24:51,400
or bubbling fountains...

484
00:24:51,466 --> 00:24:55,566
Baroque art was designed 
to have an emotional impact...

485
00:24:55,633 --> 00:24:57,700
and it still does.

486
00:24:57,766 --> 00:25:05,233
♪♪

487
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,733
While southern Europe favored 
traditional Catholic rule

488
00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:11,766
and the theatrical 
Baroque style,

489
00:25:11,833 --> 00:25:13,666
the Protestant countries 
of the North,

490
00:25:13,733 --> 00:25:15,333
while still part 
of the Baroque age,

491
00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,566
were forging a different path.

492
00:25:17,633 --> 00:25:20,566
Without the lavish patronage 
of popes and nobles,

493
00:25:20,633 --> 00:25:22,600
Protestant art 
was more secular...

494
00:25:22,666 --> 00:25:25,100
reflecting the values 
of a new market --

495
00:25:25,166 --> 00:25:29,366
the no-nonsense merchants 
who paid for it.

496
00:25:29,433 --> 00:25:32,766
Painters captured 
an industrious spirit.

497
00:25:32,833 --> 00:25:34,466
Northern cities were bustling

498
00:25:34,533 --> 00:25:37,300
with hard-working craftsmen 
and businessmen,

499
00:25:37,366 --> 00:25:41,000
while sea traders headed off 
to distant lands.

500
00:25:41,066 --> 00:25:42,666
And, along with seascapes,

501
00:25:42,733 --> 00:25:45,600
idyllic landscapes 
of fertile fields --

502
00:25:45,666 --> 00:25:49,133
often land reclaimed from the 
sea using ingenious windmills --

503
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:51,900
celebrated Dutch 
industriousness.

504
00:25:51,966 --> 00:25:53,566
And in the flat Netherlands,

505
00:25:53,633 --> 00:25:58,366
a landscape was also 
a dramatic skyscape.

506
00:25:58,433 --> 00:26:01,400
The lively market town 
of Haarlem, near Amsterdam,

507
00:26:01,466 --> 00:26:03,466
looks much like it did when 
it was painted

508
00:26:03,533 --> 00:26:07,433
back in Holland's 
17th century Golden Age...

509
00:26:07,500 --> 00:26:10,633
...an age captured vividly 
on canvas.

510
00:26:10,700 --> 00:26:15,866
♪♪

511
00:26:15,933 --> 00:26:18,366
Its most famous son, Frans Hals,

512
00:26:18,433 --> 00:26:20,133
made a nice living 
painting portraits

513
00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,266
of a new kind of customer... 
merchants.

514
00:26:23,333 --> 00:26:26,966
He produced ego-boosting 
portraits of city big shots...

515
00:26:27,033 --> 00:26:29,733
the citizens who epitomized 
the independent

516
00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:33,133
and upwardly mobile 
Dutch of the time.

517
00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:35,566
Like these businessmen -- 
closing a deal --

518
00:26:35,633 --> 00:26:40,133
they worked hard 
and were proud of it.

519
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,333
In this woman's portrait, 
her elegant dress and jewelry

520
00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:46,233
are painted with as much care 
as her face...

521
00:26:46,300 --> 00:26:49,566
confidently affirming 
the materialistic values

522
00:26:49,633 --> 00:26:54,733
of the people 
who made the Golden Age golden.

523
00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:57,800
Amsterdam -- a city practically 
built on water --

524
00:26:57,866 --> 00:27:01,400
was one of the busiest 
seaports in the world.

525
00:27:01,466 --> 00:27:05,600
Wealth poured in from overseas 
fueling a booming society...

526
00:27:05,666 --> 00:27:08,533
and its art.

527
00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,233
The Dutch enjoyed showing off 
the fruits of their labor

528
00:27:11,300 --> 00:27:15,866
in exquisitely detailed 
still lifes of good food.

529
00:27:15,933 --> 00:27:18,633
No preachy church art 
or Greek myths here,

530
00:27:18,700 --> 00:27:23,666
but a canvas reminder that 
this household ate very well.

531
00:27:23,733 --> 00:27:27,066
And this family boasted 
some fine pewter ware.

532
00:27:27,133 --> 00:27:32,266
Paintings were intimate, with 
muted colors and less drama.

533
00:27:32,333 --> 00:27:37,433
Virgin Marys and Apollos 
were out -- cheese was in.

534
00:27:39,833 --> 00:27:42,466
Perhaps for the first time, 
art catered to the tastes

535
00:27:42,533 --> 00:27:45,100
and budgets 
of middle-class people, too.

536
00:27:45,166 --> 00:27:47,866
Smaller canvases 
by no-name artists

537
00:27:47,933 --> 00:27:49,566
that a regular merchant 
could afford

538
00:27:49,633 --> 00:27:51,766
and hang in his living room.

539
00:27:51,833 --> 00:27:54,166
Jan Steen offered 
a delightful slice

540
00:27:54,233 --> 00:27:58,033
of 17th-century Dutch life.

541
00:27:58,100 --> 00:27:59,833
Entertaining...sure...

542
00:27:59,900 --> 00:28:03,866
but Steen loved to slip in 
a dose of folk morality.

543
00:28:03,933 --> 00:28:06,466
Here, children teach 
a cat to dance --

544
00:28:06,533 --> 00:28:09,533
mischief on their 
delighted faces --

545
00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:13,666
but their father's upset 
that they're wasting time.

546
00:28:13,733 --> 00:28:15,266
And these parents party

547
00:28:15,333 --> 00:28:19,166
while the kids copy 
their irresponsible behavior --

548
00:28:19,233 --> 00:28:23,633
The girls learn to drink and 
the little boy picks up smoking.

549
00:28:23,700 --> 00:28:26,366
The note warns, 
"Parents beware --

550
00:28:26,433 --> 00:28:31,666
your children are learning 
from your bad behavior."

551
00:28:31,733 --> 00:28:33,266
Here, Johannes Vermeer,

552
00:28:33,333 --> 00:28:36,133
the master of tranquility 
and stillness,

553
00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:41,433
shows an intimate street 
from his hometown of Delft.

554
00:28:41,500 --> 00:28:44,400
In his quiet painting 
of a humble milkmaid,

555
00:28:44,466 --> 00:28:47,466
Vermeer creates a scene 
where we can almost hear

556
00:28:47,533 --> 00:28:49,566
the trickle of 
the pouring milk...

557
00:28:49,633 --> 00:28:53,900
capturing the beauty 
of everyday things.

558
00:28:53,966 --> 00:28:56,400
♪♪

559
00:28:56,466 --> 00:28:58,966
And here, Vermeer 
draws the curtain

560
00:28:59,033 --> 00:29:01,533
to reveal the artist at work.

561
00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:03,433
The floor tiles 
lead the viewer in

562
00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:05,666
to where he's painting a model.

563
00:29:05,733 --> 00:29:08,566
The studio is a small world 
unto itself,

564
00:29:08,633 --> 00:29:11,766
filled with beautiful 
and symbolic details --

565
00:29:11,833 --> 00:29:14,933
the map of Holland 
celebrating its trading power...

566
00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,466
the golden chandelier -- 
a mark of new wealth...

567
00:29:18,533 --> 00:29:20,233
his fine clothing...

568
00:29:20,300 --> 00:29:24,966
Everything is crystal-clear, 
lit by a soft cool light.

569
00:29:25,033 --> 00:29:27,633
The model's caught 
in a candid pose...

570
00:29:27,700 --> 00:29:30,000
while the artist -- 
his back to his audience --

571
00:29:30,066 --> 00:29:34,833
is just another hardworking 
Dutchman plying his craft.

572
00:29:34,900 --> 00:29:41,766
♪♪

573
00:29:41,833 --> 00:29:44,233
The great Dutch painter, 
Rembrandt --

574
00:29:44,300 --> 00:29:46,066
this is him at age 22 --

575
00:29:46,133 --> 00:29:49,966
started out earning a living 
by painting portraits.

576
00:29:50,033 --> 00:29:54,866
He brought a relaxed naturalism 
to the standard group portrait.

577
00:29:54,933 --> 00:29:57,766
These businessmen, wearing 
the power suit of the day,

578
00:29:57,833 --> 00:30:00,666
gather to look over the books.

579
00:30:00,733 --> 00:30:03,066
Though every face 
is portrait-perfect,

580
00:30:03,133 --> 00:30:06,033
the scene doesn't look posed.

581
00:30:06,100 --> 00:30:08,033
It's as if someone 
just walked in

582
00:30:08,100 --> 00:30:09,733
and grabbed their attention --

583
00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:14,666
and Rembrandt captures them, 
candid as a snapshot.

584
00:30:14,733 --> 00:30:16,200
With the  Night Watch,

585
00:30:16,266 --> 00:30:20,033
Rembrandt took the group 
portrait to a whole new level.

586
00:30:20,100 --> 00:30:22,166
He portrayed 
the local bigwigs --

587
00:30:22,233 --> 00:30:26,666
a kind of 17th-century 
National Guard/Rotary Club.

588
00:30:26,733 --> 00:30:29,633
♪♪

589
00:30:29,700 --> 00:30:33,033
But rather than the standard 
stiff soccer team pose,

590
00:30:33,100 --> 00:30:36,400
this canvas bursts with energy.

591
00:30:36,466 --> 00:30:39,200
The men tumble out 
of their hall, weapons drawn,

592
00:30:39,266 --> 00:30:41,233
ready to defend the city.

593
00:30:41,300 --> 00:30:43,166
Rembrandt added theatrical drama

594
00:30:43,233 --> 00:30:47,133
with his distinctive 
use of light --

595
00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,066
lots of dark moody shadows

596
00:30:49,133 --> 00:30:51,266
contrasted with 
the bright spotlight

597
00:30:51,333 --> 00:30:54,500
that directs your eye 
to the main characters.

598
00:30:54,566 --> 00:30:57,533
♪♪

599
00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:00,366
Rembrandt could tell the 
Old Testament story of Judith

600
00:31:00,433 --> 00:31:04,466
beheading an enemy general, 
not with the gory decapitation,

601
00:31:04,533 --> 00:31:08,466
but with a few psychologically 
suspenseful details --

602
00:31:08,533 --> 00:31:10,700
the heroine's 
intelligent face --

603
00:31:10,766 --> 00:31:12,700
as she plots her plan...

604
00:31:12,766 --> 00:31:16,933
her sumptuous clothes 
to seduce the villain...

605
00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,100
the wine, to get him drunk...

606
00:31:20,166 --> 00:31:23,400
her accomplice -- 
like a distant thought...

607
00:31:23,466 --> 00:31:26,700
and her maid -- who holds 
the goblet with the bag

608
00:31:26,766 --> 00:31:28,833
that will carry 
the severed head.

609
00:31:28,900 --> 00:31:31,066
By letting the viewer 
connect the dots,

610
00:31:31,133 --> 00:31:35,300
Rembrandt delivers a powerful 
psychological punch.

611
00:31:35,366 --> 00:31:39,666
Here's another example of 
the master's subtle brilliance.

612
00:31:39,733 --> 00:31:42,766
Only Rembrandt could show 
the burning of Jerusalem --

613
00:31:42,833 --> 00:31:44,800
not with 
the predictable flames --

614
00:31:44,866 --> 00:31:46,966
but by throwing 
his light of truth

615
00:31:47,033 --> 00:31:52,266
on the worried brow of Jeremiah, 
the man who predicted it.

616
00:31:52,333 --> 00:31:54,700
Rembrandt became 
rich and famous.

617
00:31:54,766 --> 00:31:57,433
But as the years passed, 
his beloved wife died,

618
00:31:57,500 --> 00:32:00,400
he went bankrupt, 
and his life darkened.

619
00:32:00,466 --> 00:32:05,400
But all that heartache only 
added deeper wisdom to his work.

620
00:32:05,466 --> 00:32:08,433
Rembrandt drew from the well 
of his own life experience

621
00:32:08,500 --> 00:32:09,866
for his portraits.

622
00:32:09,933 --> 00:32:14,633
This couple is clearly 
in love -- a deep, quiet love.

623
00:32:14,700 --> 00:32:17,500
The man gently draws 
the woman close,

624
00:32:17,566 --> 00:32:20,766
while she reaches up 
to return his touch.

625
00:32:20,833 --> 00:32:25,233
Using thick paint, Rembrandt 
adds character to their faces

626
00:32:25,300 --> 00:32:29,533
and a rich texture 
to their elaborate clothing.

627
00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:32,600
The couple forms 
a powerful pyramid of love,

628
00:32:32,666 --> 00:32:37,266
with their touching hands 
at the center.

629
00:32:37,333 --> 00:32:40,566
Rembrandt's greatest subject 
was himself.

630
00:32:40,633 --> 00:32:42,266
His self-portraits are made

631
00:32:42,333 --> 00:32:44,433
with ever-thicker 
layers of paint,

632
00:32:44,500 --> 00:32:47,900
piled on like 
the hard experiences of life.

633
00:32:47,966 --> 00:32:52,400
They show the determination of 
a stubborn independent artist...

634
00:32:52,466 --> 00:32:56,333
a proud man surveying 
the wreckage of his life...

635
00:32:56,400 --> 00:33:00,200
a man who's lived through the 
ups and downs of the Golden Age

636
00:33:00,266 --> 00:33:05,066
and woven those experiences 
together to create great art.

637
00:33:05,133 --> 00:33:08,300
♪♪

638
00:33:10,266 --> 00:33:12,933
As Europe's nations grew bigger, 
many centralized around

639
00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,866
an old reliable institution -- 
the monarchy.

640
00:33:15,933 --> 00:33:18,866
This was the era of Europe's 
great kings and queens.

641
00:33:18,933 --> 00:33:21,666
They claimed their authority 
came directly from God --

642
00:33:21,733 --> 00:33:26,333
by "divine right" -- and that 
their power was "absolute."

643
00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:28,866
Through the ages, portraits 
had been one of the ways

644
00:33:28,933 --> 00:33:33,200
royals showed off their power 
and their divine right to rule.

645
00:33:33,266 --> 00:33:37,266
They hired Europe's best artists 
to paint them in all their glory

646
00:33:37,333 --> 00:33:42,033
from the powerful renaissance 
royals and rulers of France...

647
00:33:42,100 --> 00:33:44,833
Spain...

648
00:33:44,900 --> 00:33:46,500
Venice...

649
00:33:46,566 --> 00:33:49,700
to England.

650
00:33:49,766 --> 00:33:55,033
Baroque artists captured the 
over-the-top style of the age.

651
00:33:55,100 --> 00:33:58,733
By then, Europe was ruled by 
a handful of powerful families

652
00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:01,366
who used such portraits 
to stay in touch

653
00:34:01,433 --> 00:34:05,433
and, like Baroque dating apps, 
to arrange marriages.

654
00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:07,966
And court painters 
pulled out all the stops --

655
00:34:08,033 --> 00:34:11,766
from making young princes 
look impossibly good on a horse

656
00:34:11,833 --> 00:34:16,200
to making a mere mortal look 
as divine as can be.

657
00:34:16,266 --> 00:34:19,633
♪♪

658
00:34:19,700 --> 00:34:23,833
Diego Velázquez was one of 
the greatest portrait artists.

659
00:34:23,900 --> 00:34:25,800
A virtual court photographer,

660
00:34:25,866 --> 00:34:28,933
he was the Spanish 
master of realism.

661
00:34:29,033 --> 00:34:32,333
As well as standard portraits 
of the Spanish king and queen,

662
00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:36,100
Velázquez loved to keep it real 
with behind-the-scenes glimpses

663
00:34:36,166 --> 00:34:39,433
of the rest of the court -- 
their cute kids...

664
00:34:39,500 --> 00:34:41,666
even the court jester.

665
00:34:41,733 --> 00:34:45,566
♪♪

666
00:34:45,633 --> 00:34:48,900
In this masterpiece, the artist 
paints himself at work

667
00:34:48,966 --> 00:34:53,600
on a portrait as a princess 
and her servants look on.

668
00:34:53,666 --> 00:34:55,166
The unique perspective --

669
00:34:55,233 --> 00:34:56,800
notice how they're all 
looking out --

670
00:34:56,866 --> 00:34:58,466
is ambiguous.

671
00:34:58,533 --> 00:35:00,500
Perhaps they're looking 
toward the king and queen

672
00:35:00,566 --> 00:35:01,666
as they pose --

673
00:35:01,733 --> 00:35:04,700
who'd be standing right 
where we are as viewers.

674
00:35:04,766 --> 00:35:07,466
The royal couple can actually 
be seen reflected

675
00:35:07,533 --> 00:35:10,733
in the mirror 
at the back of the room.

676
00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:12,766
With his mastery of realism,

677
00:35:12,833 --> 00:35:16,233
Velázquez created 
a wonderfully 3-D world

678
00:35:16,300 --> 00:35:18,833
where Spain's royal court 
comes to life --

679
00:35:18,900 --> 00:35:21,666
as if you could step 
right through the canvas

680
00:35:21,733 --> 00:35:24,166
and into their lives.

681
00:35:24,233 --> 00:35:27,100
♪♪

682
00:35:27,166 --> 00:35:28,400
Beyond royal portraits,

683
00:35:28,466 --> 00:35:31,366
Velázquez gave life 
to everything he touched --

684
00:35:31,433 --> 00:35:33,300
dramatic bible stories...

685
00:35:33,366 --> 00:35:36,933
astonishingly realistic 
classical scenes...

686
00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,200
graceful nudes...

687
00:35:39,266 --> 00:35:41,533
and great moments in history...

688
00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:46,266
all infused with his affinity 
for the common man.

689
00:35:46,333 --> 00:35:48,900
With his mastery 
of unvarnished realism,

690
00:35:48,966 --> 00:35:52,300
he could turn a Greek myth 
into a candid group-selfie

691
00:35:52,366 --> 00:35:54,300
in a blue-collar bar.

692
00:35:54,366 --> 00:35:56,066
Bacchus, the god of wine

693
00:35:56,133 --> 00:35:59,200
joins a bunch of tipsy 
Spanish peasants.

694
00:35:59,266 --> 00:36:01,700
♪♪

695
00:36:01,766 --> 00:36:03,800
The radiant god 
sits on the left,

696
00:36:03,866 --> 00:36:07,200
gritty peasants to the right,

697
00:36:07,266 --> 00:36:10,133
and uniting the two halves 
is the kneeling man

698
00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:13,333
being crowned 
by the ultimate hedonist.

699
00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:14,900
The center of the composition?

700
00:36:14,966 --> 00:36:18,000
It's the cup of wine, of course.

701
00:36:18,066 --> 00:36:23,000
♪♪

702
00:36:23,066 --> 00:36:27,033
In the Baroque era, Europe's 
royals ruled in splendor.

703
00:36:27,100 --> 00:36:30,333
Across the continent they built 
sprawling palaces --

704
00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:32,666
from Austria...

705
00:36:32,733 --> 00:36:35,000
and Spain...

706
00:36:35,066 --> 00:36:39,266
to Sweden and France.

707
00:36:39,333 --> 00:36:42,700
♪♪

708
00:36:42,766 --> 00:36:44,966
France -- for centuries, 
the richest country in Europe --

709
00:36:45,033 --> 00:36:48,666
is strewn with lavish palaces, 
châteaux, and mansions.

710
00:36:48,733 --> 00:36:50,633
After all, until its revolution,

711
00:36:50,700 --> 00:36:54,033
its society was the epitome 
of that Old Regime notion

712
00:36:54,100 --> 00:36:56,933
that some are born to rule 
and the rest of us...

713
00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:59,766
well, just deal with it.

714
00:36:59,833 --> 00:37:04,066
France's capital, Paris, 
glitters with royal parks...

715
00:37:04,133 --> 00:37:05,833
gilded bridges...

716
00:37:05,900 --> 00:37:11,600
and, of course, once the biggest 
palace of all -- The Louvre.

717
00:37:11,666 --> 00:37:14,866
And, when those kings and nobles 
wanted to get out of Paris

718
00:37:14,933 --> 00:37:18,000
for some hunting or perhaps 
an intimate rendezvous,

719
00:37:18,066 --> 00:37:20,466
they escaped 
to their favored playground --

720
00:37:20,533 --> 00:37:22,400
The Loire Valley.

721
00:37:22,466 --> 00:37:24,333
Here, they built their get-aways

722
00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:26,633
with ever-greater opulence --

723
00:37:26,700 --> 00:37:29,333
pleasure palaces 
like the grandiose Chambord --

724
00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:33,966
with over 400 rooms 
and nearly as many chimneys...

725
00:37:34,033 --> 00:37:35,766
the dreamy Azay-le-Rideau

726
00:37:35,833 --> 00:37:38,500
which seems fit 
for a fairy tale...

727
00:37:38,566 --> 00:37:40,933
and the romantic Chenonceau --

728
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:44,066
loping gracefully 
over its river.

729
00:37:44,133 --> 00:37:45,700
♪♪

730
00:37:47,300 --> 00:37:49,866
Of all the divine-right kings, 
one was the greatest.

731
00:37:49,933 --> 00:37:52,666
And, of all the palaces, 
one was the grandest.

732
00:37:52,733 --> 00:37:54,133
By the 1700s,

733
00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:57,266
France was Europe's richest 
and most populous country...

734
00:37:57,333 --> 00:38:01,066
home to Europe's 
most spectacular palace.

735
00:38:01,133 --> 00:38:03,600
And that palace was Versailles,

736
00:38:03,666 --> 00:38:07,366
the palace other palaces 
were modeled after,

737
00:38:07,433 --> 00:38:11,433
the one many tried to outdo -- 
but none succeeded.

738
00:38:11,500 --> 00:38:14,700
And the palace -- a potent mix 
of art and architecture --

739
00:38:14,766 --> 00:38:19,033
is all about this man -- 
the ultimate divine monarch,

740
00:38:19,100 --> 00:38:21,333
Louis XIV.

741
00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:26,233
It's said that Louis spent half 
of France's entire annual GNP

742
00:38:26,300 --> 00:38:28,066
to turn his dad's hunting lodge

743
00:38:28,133 --> 00:38:31,433
into a palace suitable 
for Europe's king of kings.

744
00:38:31,500 --> 00:38:34,466
It's essentially a long series 
of lavish rooms,

745
00:38:34,533 --> 00:38:36,800
each with its own theme.

746
00:38:36,866 --> 00:38:38,866
Louis -- portrayed 
with his capable hand

747
00:38:38,933 --> 00:38:40,333
on the rudder of state --

748
00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:44,700
was creating Europe's first 
modern, centralized government.

749
00:38:44,766 --> 00:38:47,333
Throughout Europe, 
when you said, "the king,"

750
00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:51,600
you were referring 
to the French king -- Louis XIV.

751
00:38:51,666 --> 00:38:55,500
He was symbolized by Apollo, 
the Greek god of the sun.

752
00:38:55,566 --> 00:38:59,033
Here the artist shows Louis 
with his entire family --

753
00:38:59,100 --> 00:39:03,766
all depicted as gods on earth -- 
clearly divinely ordained

754
00:39:03,833 --> 00:39:06,766
to rule the masses 
without question.

755
00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:12,166
Art celebrated how pleasure 
ruled at Versailles.

756
00:39:12,233 --> 00:39:14,400
The main suppers, balls, 
and receptions

757
00:39:14,466 --> 00:39:16,133
were held in this room.

758
00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:19,700
The ceiling is like a sunroof 
opening up to heaven,

759
00:39:19,766 --> 00:39:21,166
filled with action

760
00:39:21,233 --> 00:39:24,566
parallel to the action 
right here in Louis' court.

761
00:39:24,633 --> 00:39:27,800
The style is 
delightfully Baroque --

762
00:39:27,866 --> 00:39:31,633
a riot of exuberant figures.

763
00:39:31,700 --> 00:39:36,033
The Venus Room reminded everyone 
that love ruled at Versailles.

764
00:39:36,100 --> 00:39:38,000
Here, couples would cavort,

765
00:39:38,066 --> 00:39:40,766
blessed from above 
by the goddess of love.

766
00:39:40,833 --> 00:39:43,000
And, as if to encourage the fun,

767
00:39:43,066 --> 00:39:45,700
Venus sends down 
a flowery garland

768
00:39:45,766 --> 00:39:50,133
to ensnare others 
in delicious  amour.

769
00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:55,266
♪♪

770
00:39:55,333 --> 00:39:58,900
The Hall of Mirrors was 
the highlight of the palace.

771
00:39:58,966 --> 00:40:02,233
No one had ever seen 
anything like it.

772
00:40:02,300 --> 00:40:04,800
Mirrors were a great luxury 
at the time,

773
00:40:04,866 --> 00:40:09,133
and this exquisite ballroom 
was astounding.

774
00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:13,000
Imagine the scene -- 
lit by countless candles,

775
00:40:13,066 --> 00:40:16,400
filled with elegant guests 
in fine silks

776
00:40:16,466 --> 00:40:19,833
dancing to the orchestra.

777
00:40:19,900 --> 00:40:21,633
Under gilded candelabra,

778
00:40:21,700 --> 00:40:25,266
servants would glide by 
with lavish hors d'oeuvres.

779
00:40:25,333 --> 00:40:29,066
And whenever you'd look up, 
you'd see your king

780
00:40:29,133 --> 00:40:32,333
doing what he did best... 
triumphing.

781
00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:36,500
♪♪

782
00:40:36,566 --> 00:40:40,266
One more way that Louis proved 
that he could rule like a god

783
00:40:40,333 --> 00:40:42,266
was by controlling nature.

784
00:40:42,333 --> 00:40:45,233
These lavish grounds -- 
elaborately planned,

785
00:40:45,300 --> 00:40:47,766
ornamented 
and Baroque as can be --

786
00:40:47,833 --> 00:40:52,433
showed everyone that their king 
was in total command.

787
00:40:52,500 --> 00:40:55,966
♪♪

788
00:40:58,466 --> 00:41:00,933
Only the Sun King 
could grow orange trees

789
00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:02,900
here in chilly northern France.

790
00:41:02,966 --> 00:41:06,266
And Louis XIV, 
he had a thousand.

791
00:41:06,333 --> 00:41:11,800
♪♪

792
00:41:11,866 --> 00:41:13,966
Fountains were 
a huge attraction,

793
00:41:14,033 --> 00:41:17,466
a marvel of both art 
and engineering.

794
00:41:17,533 --> 00:41:20,700
The Apollo Basin showed 
the sun god in his chariot

795
00:41:20,766 --> 00:41:22,733
rising from the mists of dawn

796
00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:26,533
as he starts his daily journey 
across the sky.

797
00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:28,866
Again, it all 
reminded his subjects

798
00:41:28,933 --> 00:41:31,233
that Louis was in control,

799
00:41:31,300 --> 00:41:36,633
and the kingdom of France 
was in capable hands.

800
00:41:36,700 --> 00:41:38,233
By the mid-1700s,

801
00:41:38,300 --> 00:41:41,766
Baroque had morphed into a style 
called Rococo.

802
00:41:41,833 --> 00:41:44,633
If Baroque was 
controlled exuberance,

803
00:41:44,700 --> 00:41:47,833
Rococo was uncontrolled 
exuberance.

804
00:41:47,900 --> 00:41:50,066
As if the divine monarchs 
and aristocrats

805
00:41:50,133 --> 00:41:52,100
needed ever-more 
over-the-top art

806
00:41:52,166 --> 00:41:54,266
to flaunt 
their privileged status,

807
00:41:54,333 --> 00:41:56,800
their art became even fancier --

808
00:41:56,866 --> 00:42:00,200
ultimately with the focus 
more on the decoration

809
00:42:00,266 --> 00:42:02,933
than on the subject itself.

810
00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:04,633
Baroque's curved lines

811
00:42:04,700 --> 00:42:09,400
became Rococo's 
even curvier lines.

812
00:42:09,466 --> 00:42:13,300
Circles became ovals.

813
00:42:13,366 --> 00:42:17,833
Everything glowed with gilding 
and plenty of mirrors.

814
00:42:17,900 --> 00:42:21,600
Rococo was like Baroque 
that got shrunk in the wash --

815
00:42:21,666 --> 00:42:24,633
lighter, frillier, 
and more delicate.

816
00:42:24,700 --> 00:42:26,900
♪♪

817
00:42:26,966 --> 00:42:28,833
In the decor 
of this royal palace,

818
00:42:28,900 --> 00:42:33,666
you can see how Rococo is even 
fancier than fancy Baroque --

819
00:42:33,733 --> 00:42:37,500
rooms slathered 
with enormous wealth,

820
00:42:37,566 --> 00:42:41,233
kilos of gold leaf,

821
00:42:41,300 --> 00:42:43,966
lots of exotic Asian influence,

822
00:42:44,033 --> 00:42:47,633
and eye-popping extravagance.

823
00:42:47,700 --> 00:42:49,500
The Rococo style was perfect

824
00:42:49,566 --> 00:42:52,533
for the new generation 
of rosy-cheeked aristocrats

825
00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:57,100
embracing their carefree lives 
of leisure as never before...

826
00:42:57,166 --> 00:42:58,733
frolicking amid nature...

827
00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:02,400
and indulging in every 
sensual pleasure.

828
00:43:02,466 --> 00:43:05,600
The lives of these elites 
were much like their art --

829
00:43:05,666 --> 00:43:07,933
decoration over substance.

830
00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:10,900
Across Europe, aristocrats 
played in their palaces

831
00:43:10,966 --> 00:43:13,800
and picnicked 
in their bucolic backyards --

832
00:43:13,866 --> 00:43:16,800
pleasure gardens 
that stretched to the horizon...

833
00:43:16,866 --> 00:43:21,400
as if their divine-right world 
would go on forever.

834
00:43:21,466 --> 00:43:24,800
Rococo art was a symptom 
of an excessive decadence

835
00:43:24,866 --> 00:43:27,666
among Europe's increasingly 
out-of-touch elites.

836
00:43:27,733 --> 00:43:29,300
But the world was changing.

837
00:43:29,366 --> 00:43:30,566
There was a growing belief

838
00:43:30,633 --> 00:43:33,733
that science and reason 
could lead to progress.

839
00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:36,966
This led to a new and 
ultimately revolutionary age,

840
00:43:37,033 --> 00:43:39,633
the Age of Enlightenment.

841
00:43:39,700 --> 00:43:42,266
Science was booming 
as new frontiers --

842
00:43:42,333 --> 00:43:44,733
from gravity and electricity 
to the solar system --

843
00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:46,500
were explored.

844
00:43:46,566 --> 00:43:50,633
New technology was practically 
an art form in itself,

845
00:43:50,700 --> 00:43:52,833
with jeweled microscopes...

846
00:43:52,900 --> 00:43:55,066
♪♪

847
00:43:55,133 --> 00:43:58,833
...intricate time pieces,

848
00:43:58,900 --> 00:44:01,700
and finely crafted telescopes.

849
00:44:01,766 --> 00:44:02,900
People were fascinated

850
00:44:02,966 --> 00:44:06,200
by the wonders 
of the natural world.

851
00:44:06,266 --> 00:44:09,433
And philosophers even floated 
the radical idea

852
00:44:09,500 --> 00:44:12,600
that ordinary people 
could rule themselves --

853
00:44:12,666 --> 00:44:16,033
planting the seeds 
of modern democracy.

854
00:44:16,100 --> 00:44:18,100
As the 1700s progressed,

855
00:44:18,166 --> 00:44:20,100
the aristocracy 
was going one way,

856
00:44:20,166 --> 00:44:23,166
but the rest of society 
was headed another.

857
00:44:25,633 --> 00:44:28,233
This reaction to the excess 
of the age

858
00:44:28,300 --> 00:44:30,400
led to an enlightened 
style of art

859
00:44:30,466 --> 00:44:34,200
which stripped out the Baroque 
drama and Rococo frills.

860
00:44:34,266 --> 00:44:35,566
As in the Renaissance,

861
00:44:35,633 --> 00:44:38,466
it looked back to classical 
times for inspiration --

862
00:44:38,533 --> 00:44:40,166
to ancient Greece and Rome.

863
00:44:40,233 --> 00:44:42,200
And because it was 
a new version,

864
00:44:42,266 --> 00:44:44,866
it was called "Neoclassical."

865
00:44:44,933 --> 00:44:48,300
Architects revived the style 
of classical temples.

866
00:44:48,366 --> 00:44:50,833
Using columns, 
triangular pediments,

867
00:44:50,900 --> 00:44:53,466
and soaring domes, 
these buildings --

868
00:44:53,533 --> 00:44:55,666
with their clean, 
straight lines --

869
00:44:55,733 --> 00:44:58,500
looked ancient 
but were actually modern,

870
00:44:58,566 --> 00:45:02,000
built in the 17- and 1800s.

871
00:45:02,066 --> 00:45:04,766
They were Neoclassical.

872
00:45:04,833 --> 00:45:06,900
Painters celebrated 
ancient scenes

873
00:45:06,966 --> 00:45:11,733
with clear-eyed realism 
and sharply drawn lines.

874
00:45:11,800 --> 00:45:15,533
Greek, Roman, 
sober and intellectual themes --

875
00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:18,600
it's pure Neoclassicism.

876
00:45:18,666 --> 00:45:21,500
They painted portraits 
of contemporary Europeans

877
00:45:21,566 --> 00:45:24,600
in classic colors 
and ancient garb.

878
00:45:24,666 --> 00:45:28,333
This young Parisian socialite -- 
reclining on a Roman couch,

879
00:45:28,400 --> 00:45:30,866
with a Greek tunic 
and a Pompeii hairdo --

880
00:45:30,933 --> 00:45:33,100
perfectly in vogue.

881
00:45:33,166 --> 00:45:34,900
In sculpture, subjects --

882
00:45:34,966 --> 00:45:37,200
like Napoleon's sister 
for example --

883
00:45:37,266 --> 00:45:40,333
were featured pure and calm 
as Greek gods --

884
00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:41,933
with smooth, clean lines

885
00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:46,133
carved from the same 
white marble as the ancients.

886
00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:49,866
Greek myths now came 
without all the Baroque drama.

887
00:45:49,933 --> 00:45:55,866
This Cupid flutters down 
to awaken his lover with a kiss.

888
00:45:55,933 --> 00:45:57,833
As their arms intertwine,

889
00:45:57,900 --> 00:46:01,766
they form a perfect circle -- 
a circle of love --

890
00:46:01,833 --> 00:46:05,733
focusing all the attention on 
the center of the composition --

891
00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:10,433
the charged atmosphere 
between their anxious lips.

892
00:46:10,500 --> 00:46:13,566
♪♪

893
00:46:15,533 --> 00:46:19,200
Soon, this classical style could 
be found all over Europe --

894
00:46:19,266 --> 00:46:21,466
with Greek and Roman 
inspired façades,

895
00:46:21,533 --> 00:46:26,600
stately columns, and logical, 
grid-planned streets.

896
00:46:26,666 --> 00:46:29,933
Much of London was remade 
in this style --

897
00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:32,366
from palaces...

898
00:46:32,433 --> 00:46:34,866
to churches...

899
00:46:34,933 --> 00:46:37,133
to museums.

900
00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:38,666
While on the Continent,

901
00:46:38,733 --> 00:46:41,366
the art of this period 
was called Neoclassical,

902
00:46:41,433 --> 00:46:46,400
England named the style 
after its king, "Georgian."

903
00:46:46,466 --> 00:46:48,800
St. Paul's church -- 
though begun earlier --

904
00:46:48,866 --> 00:46:52,400
paved the way for the return of 
classical forms.

905
00:46:52,466 --> 00:46:55,233
Its architect was a man 
of the Enlightenment,

906
00:46:55,300 --> 00:46:58,566
a mathematician named 
Christopher Wren.

907
00:46:58,633 --> 00:47:01,733
Its entrance looked 
like a classical temple.

908
00:47:01,800 --> 00:47:05,500
Inside, the décor is minimal -- 
unadorned ceiling...

909
00:47:05,566 --> 00:47:08,166
and clear glass, 
lighting everything

910
00:47:08,233 --> 00:47:12,400
as if with the clear-eyed 
reason of the age.

911
00:47:12,466 --> 00:47:15,133
The church was capped 
with a soaring dome.

912
00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:16,700
A dome-within-a-dome,

913
00:47:16,766 --> 00:47:20,500
it was a masterpiece of 
Enlightenment-era engineering.

914
00:47:20,566 --> 00:47:24,466
Christopher Wren spent half 
his life working on St. Paul's,

915
00:47:24,533 --> 00:47:29,066
and at 75, he got to see his son 
crown his masterpiece

916
00:47:29,133 --> 00:47:33,000
with a golden cross.

917
00:47:33,066 --> 00:47:37,666
The Neoclassical or Georgian 
style spread across Britain.

918
00:47:37,733 --> 00:47:41,633
Towns like Bath enjoyed 
a Neoclassical makeover.

919
00:47:41,700 --> 00:47:44,333
♪♪

920
00:47:44,400 --> 00:47:48,333
This circular square 
feels like an ancient coliseum

921
00:47:48,400 --> 00:47:50,333
turned inside out,

922
00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:54,533
complete with 
classical columns --

923
00:47:54,600 --> 00:47:58,033
Doric, Ionic,

924
00:47:58,100 --> 00:48:01,666
and Corinthian.

925
00:48:01,733 --> 00:48:06,133
Nearby, its Royal Crescent, 
the first Georgian "condos,"

926
00:48:06,200 --> 00:48:08,266
came with a broad promenade

927
00:48:08,333 --> 00:48:11,733
perfect for strutting 
your high-society stuff.

928
00:48:11,800 --> 00:48:15,466
With its elegant symmetry 
and classical ornamentation,

929
00:48:15,533 --> 00:48:17,600
progressive residents 
of Georgian England

930
00:48:17,666 --> 00:48:23,266
got to stroll as if the vanguard 
of an enlightened new age.

931
00:48:23,333 --> 00:48:27,133
And the Neoclassical style 
spread to Europe's far north.

932
00:48:27,200 --> 00:48:29,900
In Helsinki -- 
in the early 1800s --

933
00:48:29,966 --> 00:48:32,200
an entire ensemble 
of buildings --

934
00:48:32,266 --> 00:48:34,233
political, religious, 
and commercial --

935
00:48:34,300 --> 00:48:38,433
was designed in this 
new artistic style.

936
00:48:38,500 --> 00:48:40,566
The cathedral, 
with its stately dome

937
00:48:40,633 --> 00:48:44,566
and statues of 12 apostles, 
overlooks the city.

938
00:48:44,633 --> 00:48:47,900
With that striking centerpiece, 
this is perhaps the finest

939
00:48:47,966 --> 00:48:52,900
and most cohesive 
Neoclassical square in Europe.

940
00:48:52,966 --> 00:48:57,366
In Copenhagen, the façade of its 
cathedral mimics a Greek Temple.

941
00:48:57,433 --> 00:48:59,200
And John the Baptist stands

942
00:48:59,266 --> 00:49:02,366
where you'd expect to see 
some pagan god.

943
00:49:02,433 --> 00:49:06,866
He welcomes worshippers into a 
world of Neoclassical serenity.

944
00:49:06,933 --> 00:49:09,866
With statues of the apostles 
leading to the altar,

945
00:49:09,933 --> 00:49:12,833
the art complements 
the relative simplicity

946
00:49:12,900 --> 00:49:14,966
of Protestant worship.

947
00:49:15,033 --> 00:49:18,466
With its clean, cool lines 
and focus on reason,

948
00:49:18,533 --> 00:49:21,733
Neoclassicism was 
more than a period of art --

949
00:49:21,800 --> 00:49:24,933
it represented a whole 
new way of thinking.

950
00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:28,833
It stood for enlightenment, 
science, progress,

951
00:49:28,900 --> 00:49:31,033
and the future.

952
00:49:31,100 --> 00:49:34,166
♪♪

953
00:49:34,233 --> 00:49:37,366
While Enlightened thinkers and 
artists were forging the future,

954
00:49:37,433 --> 00:49:38,466
Europe's political order

955
00:49:38,533 --> 00:49:40,933
remained dangerously stuck 
in the past.

956
00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:44,000
Kings and nobles clung 
stubbornly to their power.

957
00:49:44,066 --> 00:49:47,266
The world was changing, but the 
conservative elites were not.

958
00:49:47,333 --> 00:49:49,333
In fact, they were digging in.

959
00:49:49,400 --> 00:49:51,533
Common people were 
demanding a voice,

960
00:49:51,600 --> 00:49:54,433
and revolution was in the air.

961
00:49:54,500 --> 00:49:57,800
Meanwhile, back at the heart of 
the Old Regime -- Versailles --

962
00:49:57,866 --> 00:50:00,766
the royals ignored 
cries for change.

963
00:50:00,833 --> 00:50:02,266
The queen, Marie Antoinette,

964
00:50:02,333 --> 00:50:05,333
retreated ever deeper 
into her fanciful gardens...

965
00:50:05,400 --> 00:50:09,600
to this petite peasant hamlet -- 
a charming farm with a dairy,

966
00:50:09,666 --> 00:50:12,433
a water mill, 
and domesticated animals...

967
00:50:12,500 --> 00:50:17,933
a fairytale escape of carefree 
country pleasures.

968
00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:19,833
In spite of rising tensions,

969
00:50:19,900 --> 00:50:22,766
artists still captured 
nobles at play.

970
00:50:22,833 --> 00:50:26,400
The queen lived in her wealthy 
bubble while, all around her,

971
00:50:26,466 --> 00:50:30,900
the long-suffering peasants 
struggled and starved.

972
00:50:30,966 --> 00:50:32,966
♪♪

973
00:50:33,033 --> 00:50:35,533
Finally, in 1789,

974
00:50:35,600 --> 00:50:39,133
the common citizens of France 
rose up and attacked.

975
00:50:39,200 --> 00:50:41,066
They overthrew 
the king and queen

976
00:50:41,133 --> 00:50:43,466
and marched them 
to the guillotine.

977
00:50:43,533 --> 00:50:46,233
As the crowd gathered, 
one managed the blade,

978
00:50:46,300 --> 00:50:47,433
one caught the blood,

979
00:50:47,500 --> 00:50:51,000
and one raised the head 
of Marie Antoinette.

980
00:50:51,066 --> 00:50:53,300
Vive la revolution!

981
00:50:53,366 --> 00:50:55,200
As the Revolution raged,

982
00:50:55,266 --> 00:50:58,400
the fast-moving events 
were chronicled by artists --

983
00:50:58,466 --> 00:51:00,733
effectively the journalists 
of the day --

984
00:51:00,800 --> 00:51:05,433
in the politically correct style 
for the age Neoclassical.

985
00:51:05,500 --> 00:51:08,166
The leading painter, 
Jacques-Louis David,

986
00:51:08,233 --> 00:51:10,400
was a Revolutionary himself.

987
00:51:10,466 --> 00:51:13,300
Celebrating patriotism 
and self-sacrifice,

988
00:51:13,366 --> 00:51:17,766
he compared his fellow patriots 
to heroes of antiquity.

989
00:51:17,833 --> 00:51:22,500
He painted the Revolution's 
turning points.

990
00:51:22,566 --> 00:51:24,533
When his friend and 
Revolutionary leader

991
00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:27,533
was assassinated -- 
knifed while taking a bath --

992
00:51:27,600 --> 00:51:31,900
David portrayed him as 
a tragic martyr to the cause.

993
00:51:31,966 --> 00:51:35,233
♪♪

994
00:51:35,300 --> 00:51:37,633
Soon, the reins 
of the runaway Revolution

995
00:51:37,700 --> 00:51:41,033
were in the capable hands of 
a charismatic young soldier --

996
00:51:41,100 --> 00:51:43,700
a leader who kept his eyes 
on the horizon

997
00:51:43,766 --> 00:51:47,766
and a hand in his coat -- 
Napoleon Bonaparte.

998
00:51:47,833 --> 00:51:49,600
As Napoleon rose to power,

999
00:51:49,666 --> 00:51:53,033
artists idealized him 
like a Roman conqueror,

1000
00:51:53,100 --> 00:51:56,366
as he led France's Revolutionary 
army across Europe,

1001
00:51:56,433 --> 00:52:00,800
toppling royal families 
and instituting reforms.

1002
00:52:00,866 --> 00:52:04,266
At the peak of his power, 
Napoleon staged a ceremony

1003
00:52:04,333 --> 00:52:08,933
to be crowned not king 
but "Emperor" of a New Rome.

1004
00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:11,900
This canvas by David, 
the biggest in the Louvre,

1005
00:52:11,966 --> 00:52:13,400
is a fine example

1006
00:52:13,466 --> 00:52:15,633
of how the victor 
gets to tell the story

1007
00:52:15,700 --> 00:52:17,833
the way he wants it told.

1008
00:52:17,900 --> 00:52:20,866
Napoleon's mother was painted 
in a prime spot --

1009
00:52:20,933 --> 00:52:23,133
even though 
she wasn't there at all.

1010
00:52:23,200 --> 00:52:27,100
The pope himself traveled from 
Rome to Paris to crown Napoleon.

1011
00:52:27,166 --> 00:52:28,933
But Napoleon took charge --

1012
00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:32,466
crowning his wife Josephine 
and himself.

1013
00:52:32,533 --> 00:52:36,033
The pope was painted 
looking a little neglected.

1014
00:52:36,100 --> 00:52:42,233
And Napoleon was now the most 
powerful man in all of Europe.

1015
00:52:42,300 --> 00:52:45,800
Ironically, Napoleon -- the man 
who'd fought the Old Regime --

1016
00:52:45,866 --> 00:52:50,133
now moved into the same lavish 
mansion that housed its kings.

1017
00:52:50,200 --> 00:52:53,566
He enjoyed the same 
sweeping staircases,

1018
00:52:53,633 --> 00:52:57,533
opulent Baroque ballroom,

1019
00:52:57,600 --> 00:53:00,900
and giddy apartments.

1020
00:53:00,966 --> 00:53:05,000
The revolutionary hero that 
once battled pampered tyrants

1021
00:53:05,066 --> 00:53:07,800
had become one himself.

1022
00:53:07,866 --> 00:53:10,100
♪♪

1023
00:53:10,166 --> 00:53:14,166
Ultimately, Napoleon's 
megalomania got the best of him.

1024
00:53:14,233 --> 00:53:19,666
All of Europe ganged up 
on France, defeated Napoleon,

1025
00:53:19,733 --> 00:53:24,700
and, again, great art and 
architecture told the story.

1026
00:53:24,766 --> 00:53:28,333
Napoleon was later buried 
in a grand tomb

1027
00:53:28,400 --> 00:53:31,300
surrounded by art 
that, to this day,

1028
00:53:31,366 --> 00:53:33,700
glorifies his reign.

1029
00:53:33,766 --> 00:53:35,800
♪♪

1030
00:53:35,866 --> 00:53:38,366
Though the Revolution 
was eventually over,

1031
00:53:38,433 --> 00:53:41,333
the revolutionary spirit 
lived on --

1032
00:53:41,400 --> 00:53:43,866
celebrated with 
triumphal arches,

1033
00:53:43,933 --> 00:53:46,833
stirring reliefs,

1034
00:53:46,900 --> 00:53:49,966
and heroic statues.

1035
00:53:50,033 --> 00:53:52,533
Europe had been changed forever,

1036
00:53:52,600 --> 00:53:57,600
pointing society toward 
an unknown but exciting future.

1037
00:53:57,666 --> 00:54:06,133
♪♪

1038
00:54:06,200 --> 00:54:08,166
The art and architecture 
of this period

1039
00:54:08,233 --> 00:54:11,333
represents Europe's joys, 
struggles, and growing pains

1040
00:54:11,400 --> 00:54:13,333
in its long march forward.

1041
00:54:13,400 --> 00:54:15,900
Europe was entering 
the Modern Age.

1042
00:54:15,966 --> 00:54:19,033
And with that comes 
lots more exciting art.

1043
00:54:19,100 --> 00:54:20,300
Thanks for joining us.

1044
00:54:20,366 --> 00:54:24,300
I'm Rick Steves, 
celebrating the Art of Europe.

1045
00:54:32,266 --> 00:54:38,800
♪♪

1046
00:54:38,866 --> 00:54:45,433
♪♪

1047
00:54:45,500 --> 00:54:51,100
♪♪

1048
00:54:51,166 --> 00:54:56,766
♪♪

1049
00:54:56,833 --> 00:55:02,700
♪♪

1050
00:55:02,766 --> 00:55:08,033
♪♪