Air Date
December 21, 2024
Episodes
4 episodes
The Legends of Paris: A Tale of the 19th Century Artistic Scene
Season 1
Overview
During the turbulent 19th century, a number of brilliant French artists developed the Romantic movement in Paris: writers Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, George Sand, Honoré de Balzac and Charles Baudelaire, painter Eugène Delacroix and composer Hector Berlioz, among others, changed the way of looking at art and created enduring works that have inspired the world to this day.
Episodes
1. The Romantic Revolution (1827-1832)
Whilst the upheaval of revolution transforms France, young idealistic romantics in Paris, such as Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, George Sand and Hector Berlioz, among others, dream of a new world through their art.
2. Life As a Novel (1833-1848)
The romantics have triumphed: their plays are performed in the theater and their novels fill bookshops whilst concert halls hear the notes of their music.
3. Romantic Twilight (1848-1855)
The 1848 revolution shakes the foundations of the monarchy. When Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and George Sand become politically active, the courage of their convictions is tested.
4. The Era of Emancipation (1855-1874)
Exiled in Guernsey since October 1855, Victor Hugo finishes his immortal masterpiece, while, in Paris, government censorship and free art are engaged in an unequal battle.
