The story of French art is full of drama – the most powerful kings ever to rule in Europe, with glittering palaces and astounding art to go in them. It’s also a story of conflict. In this engrossing study, historian Andrew Graham-Dixon explores how art emerged from the struggle between rulers and ruled, tradition and revolution – starting with the invention of Gothic architecture.

The French Revolution ushered in a bold new world – in art as much as political life. British historian Andrew Graham-Dixon explores art’s dramatic about-turn: reinventing itself after the bloody execution of Louis XVI, its love-hate relationship with Napoleon Bonaparte, the rise of Romanticism and the art of seduction (cue sex and high drama). A grand tour of a gripping moment in French culture.

One of the most wildly creative periods in the history of art, France was changing at a rapid pace and angry young impressionists were reinventing their craft – finding muses in the bars, brothels and cabarets of Belle Époque Paris. Andrew Graham-Dixon ends the series with a wild account of the 19th-century artists who paved the way for just about every modern art movement of note.