New on DVD this week...

The fabulous BBC series "The Private Lives of Masterpieces" is now available on DVD -- as the full seasons 1-5 collection, or as individual DVDs on specific time periods (Renaissance, Impressionism/Post-Impressionism, etc). A few episodes from the series have aired in the US on the Ovation network, and they are hands-down the best art documentaries I've ever seen, including the episode on van Gogh's "Sunflowers." Other episodes I've seen and liked include Rembrandt's "NIght Watch," Degas' "Little Dancer," Rodin's "The Kiss," and Renoir's "Le Moulin de la Galette." In each, not only the in-depth history of the work's creation is presented but also its life afterward. The "Night Watch" episode, for example, considers the multiple times it's been attacked in the museum and its subsequent restorations. I'm enormously excited about the DVD collection and will be ordering it soon!