‘Art of Gothic’ starts with an overview of the style and the beginning of its assembly at the hand of the Georgian Gentleman. It then goes onto analyse and weave together the different strands of Gothic’s origins including Romanesque and Renaissance Art; the religious reconstruction of The Reformation and the influence of Marxism. Graham-Dixon guides us through these different movements examining works by, amongst others, Salvator Rosa, John Ruskin and of course Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker.
Graham-Dixon is arguably one of the best arts commentators. His light hearted demeanour and cheeky assertions are designed to provoke thought in the viewer. He just wants you to think about what he is talking about, mull it over in your own way and actually learn something.
Thus ‘The Art of Gothic’ is that rare thing in modern television; entertaining, intelligent and challenging. There is no assumption of prior knowledge but also no presumption that the viewer is stupid and doesn’t want to learn. I actually found the programme much more interesting and entertaining than I thought I would and it was quite educational.
Website reference: http://channelhopping.onthebox.com/2014/10/27/the-art-of-gothic/
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