Series

Watch Civilisations (2018) Online

6.619 votes2018NR1hEndedDocumentaryOfficial site

Synopsis

The story of art from the dawn of human history to the present day—for the first time on a global scale. Inspired by Civilisation, Kenneth Clark’s acclaimed landmark 1969 series about Western art, this series broadens the canvas to reveal the role art and the creative imagination have played across multiple cultures and civilizations.

Episodes

Series 1

PreviousNext

1. Second Moment of CreationNow viewing2018-04-1753m4.9Examine the formative role of art and the creative imagination in the forging of humanity itself. Images and artifacts found in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia and South America testify to the urge to develop civilizations. Liev Schreiber narrates.
2. How Do We Look?2018-04-2453m3.9Explore the many functions of the human image in art. Portraits, paintings and sculptures, both life-size and colossal, perform a role—assuaging loss, expressing strength, inspiring fear—and were instrumental in depicting the human body today.
3. God and Art2018-05-0153m2.0Trace the relationship between religion and art, which has inspired some of the most ingenious, affecting, majestic and breathtaking works of art ever made. Yet beneath great works of religious art often lie conflict, intrigue and divine mysteries.
4. Encounters2018-05-0853m2.5See how advances in seafaring and a thirst for trade and exploration sent human beings around the planet. Distant and disparate cultures met for the first time, and art became the great interface by which civilizations understood each other.
5. Renaissances2018-05-1553m2.8Travel east and west to explore the connections and rivalries between Renaissance Italy and the Islamic empires that experienced their own cultural flowering in the 15th and 16th centuries. Both spheres were open to influences flowing both ways.
6. Paradise on Earth2018-06-1253m1.0Explore one of humanity’s deepest artistic urges: the depiction of nature. But landscape painting is seldom a straightforward portrayal of observed nature; it's a projection of dreams, idylls, escapes and refuges—the elusive paradise on earth.
7. Color and Light2018-06-1953m1.0Explore the story of light and color in art—both in the search for greater realism and spiritual ecstasy. Journey from Gothic cathedrals and Indian courtly painting to modern art.
8. The Cult of Progress2018-06-2653m1.0Examine the rise and fall of “progress” as an ideology, and see how the “civilizing” project that arose from Enlightenment ideas was fraught with contradictions that troubled European artists in different ways.
9. What is Art Good For?2018-07-0353m1.3Explore art in the age of revolution, war and profound scientific change and consider the question: Should art create a separate realm, a place of escape, or should it plunge into the chaos, transforming the way we see and live in the world?

Cast

Top Billed Cast

Availability

Where To Watch Legally

Stream

Buy

Google Play Movies

Streaming availability data provided by JustWatch.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Civilisations available to watch online?

Yes - see the "Where to watch legally" section on this page for streaming, rental and purchase options.

How many seasons does Civilisations have?

Civilisations has 1 season and 9 episodes.

When did Civilisations first air?

Civilisations first aired in 2018.

Is Civilisations still running?

Civilisations's status on TMDB is: Ended.

What genre is Civilisations?

Civilisations is classified as Documentary.