We love getting cosy and settling in for a movie night, and while we do enjoy a bit of high-octane action, sometimes you want something a bit more intellectual.
Art documentaries can provide a great introduction and overview of a particular period or artistic movement. Much like a teacher, the presenter is able to explain many cultural, historical or geographical factors and influences, helping you to understand and appreciate the art better.
There are quite a lot of art documentaries available online, from individual art movies focussing on individual artists to bingeable box sets. Take a look and find some high-brow art documentaries to add to your watch list!
Best art documentaries to watch in 2023
1. The Shock of the New
The BBC are world leaders in producing factual documentaries, so it’ll come as no surprise that there are quite a few of their shows in our list of art documentaries. In fact our first (and perhaps most nostalgic) pick dates all the way back to 1980, with The Shock of the New.
This eight-part documentary was one of the first television series to look at the world of modern art, presented by "the most famous art critic in the world” Robert Hughes.
Whereas previous art documentaries focussed on a more historical, classical view of the art world, Hughes brought perceptions bang up to date looking at movements like the futurists and pop art and everything in between!
While sometimes scathingly critical and contentious, Hughes was a passionate and powerful presenter. The Shock of the New is essential viewing for any art fan or student, and considering the show is over 40 years old it still commands respect and attention.
- Watch the entire series of The Shock of the New for free on Youtube
2. The Art of France
If you watched an art documentary on the BBC in the last 20-plus years, it’s likely that it was presented by Andrew Graham-Dixon.
Art journalist, critic, historian and broadcaster, Graham-Dixon has a plethora of documentaries under his belt, but we’ll always remember him from his contributions to The Culture Show – another ground-breaking BBC arts show.
The Art of France is one of Graham-Dixon’s more recent art documentaries, taking a look at the culturally rich and visually stunning French art world.
Graham-Dixon delivers a comprehensive and compelling overview in this three-part series. You’ll learn about movements from the Romantics to the Impressionists and beyond, as well as delving into the cultural and historical events surrounding them.
And if you’re a fan of Andrew Graham-Dixon and his erudite presenting, you can catch even more of these series including the art of Spain, Germany, America, China and more.
- Watch The Art of France on Amazon via BBC Select
3. Imagine
Another staple of BBC art documentaries was, and still continues to be, Imagine. This arts, music and culture series started out in 2003. The show was hosted and executively produced and hosted by former BBC creative director Alan Yentob.
Covering an incredibly wide range of topics over the last 20 years, viewers can learn about artists from Hans Holbein to Anish Kapoor, musicians from John Coltrane to Jay-Z, and even subjects that had a significant cultural impact, including the board game Scrabble and the typeface Helvetica.
Our personal recommendations are the episodes – Edmund de Waal: Make Pots or Die, Heavy Metal in Baghdad, and Labi Siffre: This Is My Song.
- Watch Imagine on BBC iPlayer
4. The Art Mysteries
The world of art is full of mysteries, and in this series art critic and presenter/producer Waldemar Januszczak sets out to uncover the truth.
In each episode of this 4-part series, Januszczak looks at a world-famous painting that is surrounded by mystery, cutting through the speculation to find out the real story behind the art.
Did Van Gogh really cut off his own ear? Why did Seurat paint paintings within paintings? What is the true meaning behind Gaugin’s Vision After the Sermon? Put on your art detective hat and join Januszczak to find out.
- Check out The Art Mysteries from Amazon via BBC Select
5. Nature and Us: A History through Art
We’ve already mentioned some of the old guard of art critics, but every generation brings with it its own unique voice, and art historian and presenter Dr James Fox has brought us some enthralling art documentaries in recent years.
Throughout humanity, art and its surrounding environment have been intrinsically linked. Whether art was used to depict nature, or even to control or tame it, there’s no denying the huge influence and importance of our surroundings.
From early cave paintings, to sculpture materials, right up to modern day artists using technology to address environmental issues, this series spans our collective creative history from humanity's beginnings right up to the present day.
- Go on a journey of discovery with Nature and Us on BBC iPlayer
- Nature and Us is also available on Amazon via BBC Select
More James Fox documentaries
We LOVED Dr James Fox’s series; ‘A History of Art in Three Colours’ - Watch the whole series for free on Youtube.
6. The Art of the Heist
As well as questions surrounding artists and the meaning of their works, there’s also one huge question when it comes to art – is it real? With such high demand and even higher price tags, forgers can turn a massive profit.
The art of the Heist looks at some of the most daring art thefts and forgeries, such as the story of three stolen masterpieces worth over $50 million dollars, a sacred mosaic ripped off a church wall in Cyprus, and the art forgers who flooded the art market with fakes for over a decade!
- Watch The Art of the Heist on Amazon or on Apple TV
7. Africa Rising
For the majority of its history (and many would say it continues to be) the fine art world has been viewed as the playground of the rich and privileged, the educated and aristocratic, and exclusively made in Europe or North America.
While artefacts and creativity from other cultures did find its way into the western art world, up until relatively recently this was largely in the form of curios, Orientalism, tokenism, or viewed as a sort of primitive creativity – art, but not ‘real’ or ‘fine’ art.
In this refreshing and content-rich documentary, Afua Hirsch shows us the immense cultural and creative outpourings from just three African countries: Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.
Covering a wide range of creative practices including mediums such as dance, music, fashion, photography and more, the documentary also looks at how younger creatives balance respecting tradition with finding their own voices. If you think art belongs in a white cube, think again!
- Gathered highly recommends Africa Rising on iPlayer or on Apple TV
8. The Treasures of Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is widely considered as both the birthplace of democracy and western civilization. In this three-part documentary series, art critic, journalist and broadcaster Alistair Sooke looks at some of the origins and stories of their artistic masterpieces, as well as how they impacted and influenced history.
It’s a brilliant art documentary for those that are also interested in history. The episodes cover deciphering art on the walls of the throne room (home to the legendary minotaur), the revolution that triggered the birth of classical Greek art, as well as its continuing legacy.
- Check out The treasures of ancient Greece from Amazon or Apple TV
9. The World's Greatest Paintings
You may know Andrew Marr as a journalist and political commentator, but he’s also a passionate artist, creating bright colourful paintings that are well worth looking into.
In this 10-part documentary, Marr takes an in-depth look into some of the most celebrated and well-known paintings in the world and the stories that surround them.
Why is the Mona Lisa so iconic? What was Van Gogh trying to express with his Sunflowers? How is Constable’s countryside scene in the Hay Wain actually a statement of rebellion and non-conformity?
An excellent documentary series for art fans who want to discover the deeper stories behind these iconic artworks.
10. Exit through the Gift Shop
Our last art documentary is a little less academic than some of our previous choices, but is most definitely just as enthralling, and even at points pretty hilarious.
This documentary is directed by street artist Banksy, however the film focuses on a variety of graffiti and street artists such as Shepherd Fairey and Invader.
It follows the story of Thierry Guetta, at the time a relatively unknown and new entrant to the street artist scene, who filmed thousands of hours of video footage of street artists over several years, but did nothing with it. Banksy got hold of the footage, then arduously edited it into an entertaining and at times, farcical, documentary.
This is one for art fans who fancy something a bit different to the conventional documentary format. Regardless of how you feel about graffiti and street art, there’s no denying that this is an interesting and entertaining film.
- Watch Exit through the Gift Shop from Amazon, on Apple TV or fromGoogle Play
Discover a world of culture from your living room
Many people can find the art world exclusive and galleries intimidating, but art documentaries are a great way of learning from the comfort of your own home.
They can inspire your own creativity, increase your understanding of artistic movements, introduce you to different cultures or cities that you might like to visit, as well as being both educational and entertaining.
More creative viewing
Creativity is having a bit of a moment in the spotlight at the moment, with many programmes dedicated to the act of making. Check out our Craft TV shows page for all the latest essential viewing.
