Behind The Artist

How did van Gogh, son of Dutch middle class parents, become Vincent the painter? Is the common perception of him as the ultimate tormented artist the whole story? Explore the roots of his life, and the progress of his incredible talent despite many failures both personal and professional.

Auguste Rodin followed his intuition and was inspired as well by the relationships with his models. Behind each of his works there was either a scandal or a controversy. He left us "The Thinker" and "The Kiss", two of the most famous sculptures in the world. Here is his story.

Becoming a central figure in Parisian life in the 1920's when in his early 30's, Le Corbusier was a writer, essayist, editor, painter, lecturer, but more than anything else, an architect of the Modern Era. His influence on architecture and design is incalculable.

Picasso - You think you know him, but do you really ? Take an in-depth look at his art, his turbulent life, and the lasting impact he made on the art of the 20th Century.

Federico Fellini coined the term "paparazzi". The curse of celebrities, the bane of existence of the indiscreet, do photographers like Ron Galella contribute to our understanding of the lives of the famous or are they voyeurs? And do they influence and create art? Is there a paparazzi aesthetic?

Approaching 40 years of age, Roy Lichtenstein finally finds his artistic inspiration for his unique works in his son's comic books and begins the Pop Art movement. With interviews and footage from the mid-twentieth century, see the evolution of this influential modern artist.

Take a time trip to France in the 1960's-- student revolts! Pop Art!-- and meet Georges Pompidou, a bank director who became PM of France. His vision of modernizing France pushed the avant garde design of the Paris art and cultural center which is now home to the modern arts of France.

Phillippe Parreno has radically redefined the exhibition experience. Rather than as a collection of individual works, Parreno sees an exhibit as a coherent whole and works in many different media including film, text, sculpture and drawing.

Pierre Soulages, the painter of the anti-image, who uses a palette of black, is the subject of this fascinating documentary. The preeminent painter of contemporary France, his paintings are stark and plain and painted with unconventional materials.

"Monumenta" is an ephemeral art construction happening yearly since 2007, with art filling the vast space of the Grand Palais in Paris in a unique moment. This year the exhibit is the imaginary, complex world of two Russian artists, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov.

Niki de Saint Phalle, a famous woman artist of the twentieth century.

The controversial writing from 'the biggest terrorist of sex' remained prohibited in France until the twentieth century

Painting around one hundred self-portraits during his career, Rembrandt's works follow his personal path both physically and emotionally.