Main content
The Smile of Reason
Episode 10 of 13
Kenneth Clark looks at the beginnings of revolutionary politics in the 18th century.
His theme takes him from great palaces like Blenheim and Versailles, to Edinburgh, and to the hills of Virginia where Thomas Jefferson made his home in the 1760s.
Last on
Wed 22 May 202402:10
More episodes
Previous
Clips
![]()
Hogarth's seedy London
Duration: 01:57
![]()
Jacques-Louis David and the French Revolution
Duration: 01:59
About BBC Four Collection programmes
Programmes are selected, in part, for their historical context and reflect the broadcast standards and attitudes of their time, which may not accord to some current BBC editorial guidelines. We aim to select programmes which can be shown in their entirety but in some cases edits are required.
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Writer | Kenneth Clark |
| Narrator | Kenneth Clark |
| Director | Michael Gill |
| Producer | Michael Gill |
| Producer | Peter Montagnon |
Broadcasts
- Sun 27 Apr 196920:15BBC Two except East, South East & Yorkshire
- Fri 9 Sep 198319:45BBC Two except East, South East & Yorkshire
- Sat 11 Dec 199314:10BBC Two except East, South East & Yorkshire
- Wed 23 Mar 200519:10
Wed 13 Apr 201122:00BBC HD
Mon 18 Apr 201101:45BBC HD- Mon 20 May 202422:00
- Wed 22 May 202402:10
Featured in...
![]()
Civilisation
Kenneth Clark's classic 1969 series tracing the history of Western art and philosophy.





