Every picture tells a story

British art critic Waldemar Januszczak here explicates eight great paintings in Western art, giving viewers the backstory while placing the pieces in the context of their times and the remaining body of the artists' work. Januszczak infers that British portrait painter Thomas Gainsborough seemed to prefer his subjects' clothes to the people themselves (Mr and Mrs Andrews). He unearths fascinating details of Rembrandt's depiction of death (The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tolp), recalling an era in which Dutch residents would purchase tickets to view public dissections; describes the rich symbolism in the paintings of Flemish artist Jan van Eyck; and discusses how a female nude model's casual pose in Edouart Manet's Le dejeuner sur l'herbe scandalized the art world and helped found Impressionism. Throughout, Januszczak employs a mix of humor and contemporary cultural references while grounding his text in scholarly research. Extras include a viewer's guide and "stories behind the story." Originally airing on the Ovation Channel, this documentary is highly recommended for all art and art history collections.--Stephen Rees, MLS, Abingdon, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.