Simon Schama

Art is so much more than pretty pictures. It has power to move, to shock, to inform and to transform. In this groundbreaking and award-winning series, art historian Simon Schama attempts to illustrate the sheer force of the visual image via eight iconic masterpieces. These works were often derided or dismissed when first created, but they went on to change the way we look at the world.

Art and culture define us - but in an age of change, who are we now? In divided times, Simon Schama asks whether art, music and words can be the threads that bind us together.

Simon Schama reflects on a life in culture - and its enduring power in shaping our world. From The Handmaid's Tale to The Thick of It, how has art defined what matters to us all?