How Art Made the World

Why does our world look like it does? That great modern mystery is spectacularly unravelled in this international landmark series; an epic quest across five continents and 100,000 years – via some of the greatest treasures of the ancient world – to the heart of human creativity.

Discovering how the first big artistic discoveries were made, and how they have cascaded down the centuries to define the look of the present day – this is your invitation to see the world from an utterly new perspective. Encompassing everything from cave paintings to ceramics and pyramids to palaces, the series probes the global trend for unrealistic depictions of the human body; the secret powers of the feature film; how politicians manage to manipulate people so easily; visions of death and the afterlife; and crucially, why we use imagery at all.

Beautiful, surprising and compelling, this awe-inspiring adventure is not only for art lovers, but for anyone who has ever wondered about their place in the world.

Special features:

• Behind the scenes footage
• Interview with Dr Nigel Spivey & Mark Hedgecoe