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The Romantic Revolution

Season 1
Popular revolutions. Self obsession. Modern nationalism. These contemporary ideas were actually the creation of the Romantics, a generation of writers and artists living and working over 200 years ago. Many were visionaries, driven by rage and obsessed with madness. Historian Simon Schama reveals how these notions, forged during a century-long revolution in art and culture, still impact our lives.
20203 episodes13+
Free trial of BBC Select

Episodes

  1. S1 E1 - Passions of the People
    September 10, 2020
    60min
    13+
    Art expert Simon Schama explores the elixir of rebellion and the idea that imaginative passion can create an art for the people. Though the Romantic period was one of bloodshed, revolution and terror, extraordinary works by William Blake and Mary Wollstonecraft leapt out of the tumult. Contemporary thinkers and artists explore how these ideas are still integral to our cultural lives.
    Free trial of BBC Select
  2. S1 E2 - The Chambers of the Mind
    September 17, 2020
    59min
    TV-PG
    Historian Simon Schama explains how the Romantics, driven by the failures of the French revolution and horrors of the industrial revolution, retreated from public life to take a journey into their own minds. He investigates the strange, unsettling images created by Victor Hugo as well as Thomas de Quincey's opium-fueled exploration of the boundaries of madness.
    Free trial of BBC Select
  3. S1 E3 - Tribes
    September 24, 2020
    59min
    TV-PG
    There has been a resurgence of populist, nationalist movements across the world in recent times. But this is far from a modern phenomenon. The Romantics were also fascinated by the idea of ‘homeland’ and many artists were dedicated to feelings of national belonging. Simon Schama looks at the poetry of Burns, the music of Chopin and the notion of ‘nostalgia’ that was first expressed at this time.
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Details

More info

Content advisory
Nudityviolence
Audio languages
English
Subtitles
English [CC]
Directors
Hugo MacGregor
Producers
Nicolas KentCharlotte SacherMelanie Fall
Cast
Simon Schama
Studio
BBC
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