BBC Art of Germany

In a three-part epic journey through a 500–year artistic legacy, Andrew Graham-Dixon explores the surprises, beauty and wonder of German art.

The fascinating story takes us from the towering cathedral of Cologne, the woodcuts of Albrecht Dürer and paintings of Grünewald to the gothic fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle, the Baltic landscapes of Caspar David Friedrich and the industrialisation lent expression of Adolph Menzel and Käthe Kollwitz.

As the series progresses it presents a rare focus on the cultural impact of Hitler’s obsession with visual art, reveals how art became an arena for the Cold War and examines the redemptive work of the “visionary” Joseph Beuys – the most influential artist of modern times.

In an absorbing study, Andrew Graham-Dixon tells the story of a national art that conveys passion, precision, hope and renewal, and juxtaposes escapism with control and a deep affinity with nature against a love for the machine.