The Renaissance Unchained, BBC 4, 9pm, 15 Feb.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Did anyone notice that in the last episode he mused, "Janus...funny name that". It has only just occurred to me why he said it...........

Just to clarify further, he said (42mins, 45secs into the programme) "Janus: what a fine name that is!"

[Nick Armstrong]

Stupid me to type 'Jason' when I meant Janus.

Bumped the post count up on this thread, anyway!

[johncorrigan]

Bumped the post count up on this thread, anyway!

I was so enthused by the discussions on this thread that I thought that perhaps WJ had upped his game and I'd got him wrong, so I thought I'd have a watch yesterday evening. I forced myself to keep watching but after 12 minutes of feeling patronised I gave up and went back to the radio. Liked the plates...who'd have thought that the ceramicist got the idea for the snakes from reading Genesis. Apparently there was a snake tempting Eve with an apple in some garden or other. Seems snakes and lizards got a bad press in the Bible. Well I never! Looking forward to AGD's next series.

[Nick Armstrong]

I was so enthused by the discussions on this thread that I thought that perhaps WJ had upped his game and I'd got him wrong, so I thought I'd have a watch yesterday evening.

John, like you I was moved by posts on this thread (pre-JasonGate ) to have a further go at this series, and have last night's recorded. I shall see how far I get...

[Richard Tarleton]

Looking forward to AGD's next series.

Had you stuck with it John you would have seen WJ in the same Room of the Giants by Giulio Romano that AGD was in only the other day with his chef friend, so an interesting opportunity to compare their different takes and styles directly. What do I remember from AGD's? You call WJ patronising.....

There were several backwards references in episode 4, only watching the last episode will rob you of the opportunity to follow WJ's exigesis through the Renaissance. I'm getting the DVD of this series.

PS after a relaxing bath, not so much "patronising" as "lofty and patrician", for AGD....

[johncorrigan]

Had you stuck with it John you would have seen WJ in the same Room of the Giants by Giulio Romano that AGD was in only the other day with his chef friend, so an interesting opportunity to compare their different takes and styles directly. What do I remember from AGD's? You call WJ patronising.....

There were several backwards references in episode 4, only watching the last episode will rob you of the opportunity to follow WJ's exigesis through the Renaissance. I'm getting the DVD of this series.

PS after a relaxing bath, not so much "patronising" as "lofty and patrician", for AGD....

I'll take your word for it, Richard. Thanks for the link to the Chamber of the Giants. Enjoyed that very much.

[Quarky]

Had you stuck with it John you would have seen WJ in the same Room of the Giants by Giulio Romano that AGD was in only the other day with his chef friend, so an interesting opportunity to compare their different takes and styles directly. What do I remember from AGD's? You call WJ patronising.....

There were several backwards references in episode 4, only watching the last episode will rob you of the opportunity to follow WJ's exigesis through the Renaissance. I'm getting the DVD of this series.

PS after a relaxing bath, not so much "patronising" as "lofty and patrician", for AGD....

I may also get the DVD, if I can't take the essential points before this series disappears from iPlayer. A very interesting series.

In a nut shell WJ's view: An extremely strong grip on Mother Nature frees up the mind to address artistic and (probably) scientific matters without preconception or inherited styles or modes of thinking? If so, I would agree 100%.

Glad he managed to squeeze in Picasso at the end. Keep running up those stairs WJ! You have a great deal of excess baggage to lose!

[Serial_Apologist]

I may also get the DVD, if I can't take the essential points before this series disappears from iPlayer. A very interesting series.

In a nut shell WJ's view: An extremely strong grip on Mother Nature frees up the mind to address artistic and (probably) scientific matters without preconception or inherited styles or modes of thinking? If so, I would agree 100%.

Glad he managed to squeeze in Picasso at the end. Keep running up those stairs WJ! You have a great deal of excess baggage to lose!

[ardcarp]

When he stops running for a moment and stands full square to face the camera, he has that solid, legs-slightly-apart appearance of a night-club bouncer daring you to get past. Not that I've any experience of such things, you understand.......

[Stanley Stewart]

Totally engaged by this illuminating series for the past four weeks and much impressed by Waldemar Januszczak's clear and concise presentation throughout - rare gift for the appearance of spontaneity, too, a talent in itself. Crisply manages to articulate the turbulent madness and distortion of the Renaissance as he discusses the work of Da Vinci, Bosch, Arcimboldo, El Greco, in particular, and the Italian mannerists; a neat guide for future reference and study.

I've transferred the series from hard drive to two DVDs which also left room for a substantial bonus feature. Two programmes in the IMAGINE...documentary series; The trouble with Tolstoy, (i) At war with himself & (ii) In search of happiness - 60 mins each -impressive archive material as we follow the writer's transformation from aristocrat to anarchist. Several consecutive gems on BBC4!

[Nick Armstrong]

I was so enthused by the discussions on this thread that I thought that perhaps WJ had upped his game and I'd got him wrong, so I thought I'd have a watch yesterday evening. I forced myself to keep watching but after 12 minutes of feeling patronised I gave up and went back to the radio. Liked the plates...who'd have thought that the ceramicist got the idea for the snakes from reading Genesis. Apparently there was a snake tempting Eve with an apple in some garden or other. Seems snakes and lizards got a bad press in the Bible. Well I never! Looking forward to AGD's next series.

I also tried the fourth in the series. I stuck with it as the subject matter is so interesting - WJ's own sledgehammer brand of grotesque mannerism was somehow oddly appropriate to this lurid climax to the Renaissance, but nonetheless I did find myself having to 'tune him out' much of the time and hang on to some of the facts while focusing on what we were seeing.