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The Fallacies of Hope

Episode 12 of 13

Kenneth Clark traces the progressive disillusionment of the artists of the Romantic movement during the 19th century.

'Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive', wrote Wordsworth of the early days of the French Revolution, but the storming of the Bastille led not to freedom but to the Terror, the dictatorship of Napoleon and the dreary bureaucracies of the 19th century.

Kenneth Clark traces the progressive disillusionment of the artists of the Romantic movement through the music of Beethoven, the poetry of Byron and the sculpture of Rodin.

Available now

49 minutes

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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

RoleContributor
WriterKenneth Clark
NarratorKenneth Clark
DirectorMichael Gill
ProducerMichael Gill
ProducerPeter Montagnon

Broadcasts

  • Sun 11 May 196920:15
  • Thu 19 Aug 197620:10
  • Fri 23 Sep 198319:45
  • Sat 20 May 198918:10
  • New Year's Day 199414:05
  • Wed 30 Mar 200519:00
  • Wed 27 Apr 201122:00
  • Sun 1 May 201117:25
  • Mon 27 May 202422:00

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