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Andrew Graham-Dixon | |
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 Graham-Dixon in 2012 | |
| Born | 26 December 1960 London, England |
| Education | Westminster School |
| Alma mater | |
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| Website | andrewgrahamdixon |
Andrew Michael Graham-Dixon (born 26 December 1960) is a British art historian, art critic, author and broadcaster.
Andrew Graham-Dixon is a son of the barrister Anthony Philip Graham-Dixon (1929–2012), Q.C., [1] [2] and (Margaret) Suzanne "Sue" (née Villar, 1931–2010), a publicist for music and opera companies.
Graham-Dixon was educated at Westminster School, a public school. He continued his education at Christ Church, Oxford, where he read English. He graduated in 1981 and then pursued doctoral studies at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London.
Graham-Dixon began work as a reviewer for the shortlived weekly The Sunday Correspondent before becoming the chief art critic of The Independent , where he remained until 1998. He won the Arts Journalist of the Year Award three years in a row – in 1987, 1988 and 1989. He later became the chief art critic of The Sunday Telegraph .
In 1992 Graham-Dixon won the first prize in the Reportage section at the Montreal World Film Festival for a documentary film about Théodore Géricault's painting The Raft of the Medusa . From 2004 he was a contributor to The Culture Show on BBC Two, covering a variety of subjects and often acting as the main presenter. [3] He has also presented many BBC documentary series on art, including A History of British Art (1996), Renaissance (1999), Caravaggio (2002), [4] The Secret of Drawing (2005), [5] The Battle for British Art (2007), [6] Art of Eternity (2007), [7] Art of Spain (2008), [8] The Art of Russia (2009), Art of Germany (2010), Art of America (2011), [9] British Art at War: Bomberg, Sickert and Nash (2014), [10] Art of China (2014) and Art of France (2017). He is passionate about the Mona Lisa , appearing in the popular BBC documentary Secrets of the Mona Lisa (2015). [11] In 2018 he presented a four-part series on BBC Four – Art, Passion & Power: The Story of the Royal Collection.
He has also presented programmes on subjects other than art, such as I, Samurai (2006) [12] and The Real Casino Royale for the BBC and 100% English (2006) for Channel 4. In 2010 he interviewed John Lydon for a Culture Show special about Public Image Ltd. [13]
In 2018 he gave a lecture as part of the Alpine Fellowship symposium in Venice. [14]
His publications include Howard Hodgkin (1993), A History of British Art (1995), Paper Museum: Writings About Painting, Mostly (1995), Renaissance (1999), In the Picture (2005), an anthology of articles published between 2001 and 2006 in the Sunday Telegraph, and Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel (2007).
Graham-Dixon also wrote and presented the BBC documentary Who Killed Caravaggio?, broadcast on BBC 4 in 2010. The same year saw the publication of his biography, Caravaggio: A Life Sacred And Profane.
He has previously judged the Turner Prize (1991), the BP National Portrait Prize (2001,2002), and the Annual British Animation Awards. He has served on the Government Art Collection Committee, the Hayward Advisory Committee, and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead. Andrew Graham-Dixon currently serves on the Blue Plaque Committee for English Heritage and is an Ambassador for the Princes Teaching Institute.
In 2010 Plymouth University awarded Graham-Dixon an honorary Doctorate of Arts.
He was an early supporter of the group later known as the Young British Artists. In 1990 he wrote:
Goldsmiths' graduates are unembarrassed about promoting themselves and their work: some of the most striking exhibitions in London over the past few months—"The East Country Yard Show", or "Gambler", both staged in docklands—have been independently organised and funded by Goldsmiths' graduates as showcases for their work. This has given them a reputation for pushiness, yet it should also be said that in terms of ambition, attention to display and sheer bravado there has been little to match such shows in the country's established contemporary art institutions. They were far superior, for instance, to any of the contemporary art shows that have been staged by the Liverpool Tate in its own multi-million-pound dockland site. [15]
On 9 November 2021 Graham-Dixon was banned from speaking again at the Cambridge Union after a debate titled "This House Believes there is no such thing as good taste", for the Cambridge Union Debating Society. Speaking in opposition to the motion, Graham-Dixon recited part of speech made by Adolf Hitler including the lines: "This modern, horrible art that was promoted by the Jews.. and the modern art, it was cubist – inspired by the art of the negroes. This tribal art, urgh, how horrible is that?" He later apologised for the impression and stated that he was trying to "underline the utterly evil nature of Hitler." He added: "I apologise sincerely to anyone who found my debating tactics and use of Hitler's own language distressing; on reflection I can see that some of the words I used, even in quotation, are inherently offensive." [16]
Public figures including Louis de Bernières and John Cleese were among those to defend Graham-Dixon, and criticism of the Union's plans for an exclusion list prompted a U-turn from its president. [17] In a statement to The Jewish Chronicle , fellow historian Guy Walters said: "The idea that Andrew Graham-Dixon has been blacklisted for performing what was clearly a satirical impression of Adolf Hitler is both disgraceful and deeply ironic." [18] A full transcript of the speech was published by The Telegraph. [19]
Graham-Dixon is married and lives in East Sussex. He has four children.
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Billboard Project | |
| 1992 | The Raft of the Medusa | First Prize in the Reportage Section of the Montreal International Film and Television Festival |
| 1996 | A History of British Art | Six-part series Nominated for BAFTA and RTS awards |
| 1996 | Hogarth's Progress | |
| 1999 | Renaissance | Six-part series Nominated for RTS award |
| 2001 | Art That Shook the World | Series 1 episode 1 "Monet's Impression Sunrise" |
| 2002 | Secret Lives of the Artists | Three-part series on Constable,Vermeer, Caravaggio |
| 2002 | The Elgin Marbles | Drama-documentary on the Elgin Marbles |
| 2003 | 1000 Ways of Getting Drunk in England | |
| 2004–present | The Culture Show | |
| 2005 | The Secret of Drawing | Four-part series |
| 2006 | I, Samurai | |
| 2006 | The Real Casino Royale | |
| 2006 | 100% English | |
| 2007 | The Battle for British Art | |
| 2007 | Art of Eternity | Three-part series on Christian art Long-listed for Grierson Awards |
| 2008 | Art of Spain | Three-part series |
| 2008 | Travels with Vasari | Two-part documentary exploring the life and work of the artist, architect and chronicler of the Italian Renaissance, Giorgio Vasari. |
| 2008 | The Medici: Makers of Modern Art | Documentary |
| 2009 | The Art of Russia | Three-part series |
| 2009 | Picasso | Culture Show Special |
| 2010 | Art of Germany | Three-part series |
| 2011 | Treasures of Heaven [20] | Documentary about the British Museum exhibition on relics and reliquaries |
| 2011 | I Never Tell Anybody Anything: The Life and Art of Edward Burra | Documentary |
| 2011 | Art of America | Three-part series |
| 2012 | Sicily Unpacked | Three-part series presented with Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli. |
| 2013 | Italy Unpacked series 1 | Three-part series presented with Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli. |
| 2013 | The High Art of the Low Countries | Three-part series |
| 2014 | Italy Unpacked series 2 | Three-part series presented with Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli. |
| 2014 | Art of China | Three-part series |
| 2014 | The Art of Gothic: Britains Midnight Hour | Three-part series |
| 2014 | Viking Art | Published by BBC and broadcast as part of BBC The Culture Show series |
| 2014 | British Art at War | Three-part series |
| 2015 | Italy Unpacked series 3 | Three-part series presented with Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli. |
| 2015 | Secrets of the Mona Lisa | Documentary |
| 2016 | Art of Scandinavia | Three-part series |
| 2017 | Art of France | Three-part series |
| 2018 | Rome Unpacked | Two-part series presented with Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli. |
| 2018 | Art, Passion and Power: the Story of the Royal Collection | Four-part history of the Royal Collection. |
| 2018 | Stealing Van Gogh | Documentary |
| 2019 | Van Meegeren: The Forger Who Fooled the Nazis | Documentary |
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of his life, he moved between Naples, Malta, and Sicily until his death. His paintings have been characterized by art critics as combining a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, which had a formative influence on Baroque painting.
The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, [and] the most parodied work of art in the world." The painting's novel qualities include the subject's enigmatic expression, monumentality of the composition, the subtle modelling of forms, and the atmospheric illusionism.
The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the Cappella Magna, it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and 1481. Since that time, it has served as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity. Today, it is the site of the papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected. The chapel's fame lies mainly in the frescoes that decorate its interior, most particularly the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment, both by Michelangelo.
Sir Simon Michael Schama is an English historian and television presenter. He specialises in art history, Dutch history, Jewish history, and French history. He is a Professor of History and Art History at Columbia University.
Graham Vivian Sutherland was a prolific English artist. Notable for his paintings of abstract landscapes and for his portraits of public figures, Sutherland also worked in other media, including printmaking, tapestry and glass design.
Wendy Mary Beckett, better known as Sister Wendy, was a British Catholic religious sister and art historian who became known internationally during the 1990s when she presented a series of BBC television documentaries on the history of art. Her programmes, such as Sister Wendy's Odyssey and Sister Wendy's Grand Tour, often drew a 25 percent share of the British viewing audience. In 1997 she made her debut on US public television, with The New York Times describing her as "a sometime hermit who is fast on her way to becoming the most unlikely and famous art critic in the history of television."
Flaming June is a painting by Sir Frederic Leighton, produced in 1895. Painted with oil paints on a 47-by-47-inch square canvas, it depicts a sleeping woman in a sensuous version of his classicist Academic style. It is Leighton's most recognisable work, and is much reproduced in posters and other media.
Two versions of Medusa were created by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, one in 1596 and the other in ca. 1597. Both depict the moment from Greek mythology in which the Gorgon Medusa is killed by the demigod Perseus, but the Medusas are also self-portraits. Due to its bizarre and intricate design, the painting is said to display Caravaggio's unique fascination with violence and realism. The Medusa was commissioned by the Italian diplomat Francesco Maria del Monte, who planned to gift the commemorative shield to Ferdinando I de' Medici and have it placed in the Medici collection. It is now located in the Uffizi Museum in Florence without signature.
The Musicians or Concert of Youths is a painting by the Italian Baroque master Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610). The work was commissioned by Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, who had an avid interest in music. It is one of Caravaggio’s more complex paintings, with four figures that were likely painted from life.
Ecce Homo is a painting of the moment known as Ecce Homo from the Passion of Jesus by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio. It is now in the Palazzo Bianco, Genoa, Italy. Contemporary accounts claim the piece was part of an unannounced competition between three artists, and that the Caravaggio version was eventually sent to Spain.
The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew (1607) is a painting by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio. It is in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, which acquired it from the Arnaiz collection in Madrid in 1976, having been taken to Spain by the Spanish Viceroy of Naples in 1610.
The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula (1610) is a painting by the Italian artist Caravaggio (1571–1610) and thought to be his last picture. It is in the Intesa Sanpaolo Collection, the Gallery of Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano, Naples.
David Inshaw is a British artist who sprang to public attention in 1973 when his painting The Badminton Game was exhibited at the ICA Summer Studio exhibition in London. The painting was subsequently acquired by the Tate Gallery and is one of several paintings from the 1970s that won him critical acclaim and a wide audience. Others include The Raven, Our days were a joy and our paths through flowers, She did not turn, The Cricket Game, Presentiment and The River Bank (Ophelia).
The Alba Madonna is a tondo (circular) oil on wood transferred to canvas painting by the Italian High Renaissance artist Raphael, created c. 1511, depicting Mary, Jesus, and John the Baptist in a typical Italian countryside.
The Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew is a painting by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio. It takes its theme from a passage in the Gospel of Matthew describing the moment when Christ called the two brothers Simon – later known as Peter – and Andrew, to be his disciples:
As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea – for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately, they left their nets and followed him.
The Pio Monte della Misericordia is a church in the historic center of Naples, southern Italy. It is famous for its art works, including Caravaggio's The Seven Works of Mercy. A charity brotherhood was founded in August 1601 by seven young nobles, who met every Friday at the Hospital for Incurables and ministered to the sick.
Kate Bryan is a British art historian, curator and arts broadcaster. In 2016, she became head of collections for Soho House globally. She presents the Sky Arts Series Inside Arts which began in 2019. She wrote and presented the art television series Galleries on Demand, which aired every week in 2016 on Sky Arts. She is a judge on the Sky Arts television series Artist of the Year, presented by Stephen Mangan and Joan Bakewell.
Fillide Melandroni was an Italian courtesan and friend of the painter Caravaggio, who used her as a model in several of his compositions.
Marcia Hall, who usually publishes as Marcia B. Hall, is an American art historian, who is the Laura H. Carnell Professor of Renaissance Art at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture of Temple University in Philadelphia. Hall's scholarship has concentrated on Italian Renaissance painting, mostly of the sixteenth century, and especially Raphael and Michelangelo.
