Civilisation

Sir Kenneth Clark begins his classic 1969 history series by looking at how European art survived after the fall of Rome. He travels from Byzantine Ravenna in Italy to the Celtic Hebrides, examining aqueducts, cathedrals, the lives of the Vikings and of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. He reveals how European art, thought and civilization nearly perished during this time.

Kenneth Clark traces the reawakening of European civilization in the 12th century from its first manifestations in Cluny Abbey to the Basilica of St Denis and, finally, to its high point, the building of the magnificent Chartres Cathedral. He reveals how the history of civilization at this time reflects the growth in power of the Church and how religion became increasingly political.

Kenneth Clark journeys from the Loire Valley through Tuscany and Umbria to the iconic cathedral at Pisa. He explores the aspirations of the later Middle Ages in France and Italy, looking at the work of Giotto and Dante, among other artists. He explores the history of the Gothic, the influence of St. Francis of Assisi and the Italian city states, where some believe civilization began.

Kenneth Clark visits Florence, the richest city in Europe during the late 14th century. It seems a surprising place for the Renaissance to begin, but that’s exactly what happened. He then journeys to the palaces of Urbino and Mantua, where the Renaissance manifested itself in glorious architecture. He talks of humanism and of perspective, of Donatello, Botticelli, and Van Eyck.

Kenneth Clark continues his personal reflections on the history of civilization with a look at Papal Rome in the early 16th century. Three great artists, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci, are identified by Clark as 'Individuals of Genius'. He then journeys through the gardens and courtyards of the Vatican, to the rooms decorated for the Pope by Raphael, and to the Sistine Chapel.

Kenneth Clark investigates the history of the Protestant Reformation in northern Europe, a time which saw a more significant exchange of ideas, coupled with religious hysteria. He looks at Holbein, Thomas More, Erasmus and Durer, artists and thinkers who traveled widely across Europe to develop their learning. The introduction of the printing press accelerated the evolution of civilization.