Anatomy of a Painting is a captivating documentary series that delves into the heart of masterpieces of painting to uncover the little-known stories of the characters depicted in them. Through meticulous investigation, each episode explores an intriguing, often forgotten figure whose fate sheds light on a historical era and its challenges.
Using digital tools and an innovative investigative approach applied to art history, this series offers a unique perspective on overlooked figures and the historical realities they embody.
Aired Episodes
- The ‘Transvestite’ of 1920s Berlin : A painting by the German artist Christian Schad. Only one figure has not been identified by the artist. Investigating their identity reveals the place of transvestites and other queer people in the Berlin of the Roaring Twenties.
- The Spanish ‘Court Dwarf’ : In the masterpiece “Las Meninas”, painted by Diego Velazquez, who is this person of short stature standing next to the Spanish royal family? We have tracked down her identity and, by analysing internet archives, investigated the royal interest in dwarves in the 16th and 17th centuries.
- Courtesan and Intellectual : In this scene, Molière is surrounded by scholars, artists and writers: Corneille, Racine, Jean de la Fontaine, Boileau… At the centre of the assembly of men is a single woman. But who was she? Our research traces out the life of Ninon de Lenclos, a courtesan who became highly influential in 17th century French high society.
- The Gynaecologist and the Slave : In this painting by the American Robert Thom, who is the man every figure is turning to? His name is James Marion Sims, an American gynaecologist acclaimed by his 19th century peers who used slave women for his medical experiments.
- Castrated for Glory : 224 figures surround the King and Queen of Spain in a painting by Francesco Battaglioli. The artist specifies the identity of just one of them: Farinelli, an opera-singer and superstar of the 18th century. But what price did the musician pay for his fame and glory?
- The Versailles Black Boy : In the late 18th century, the artist Gautier-Dagoty painted a portrait of the Countess of Barry, favourite of King Louis XV, with a dark-skinned boy at her side. Why does he appear in a portrait of the most powerful woman in France?
