Masterstroke

**Season 2 is out!** Masterstroke is a documentary series investigating some of the most famous and interesting religious art in history.

Masterstroke

Videos

Ep 6 Artemesia

On a list of 101 great painters of all time, only three were women. This week, Masterstroke looks at the astonishing story of one of the greatest painters you've probably never heard of.

Ep 6 Weighed in the Balance

What happens after death? The painting "Belshazzar’s Feast" by Rembrandt shows the moment in time a powerful king discovered his fate. Through this painting discover the answer to the most important question in life, and the secret to salvation?

Ep 5 Lost & Found

Have you ever lost something and got totally frustrated because you can't find it? Discover the mystery in the painting "The Lost Drachma" by artist James Tissot, who is the women? what has she lost?

Ep 4 Doubting Thomas

The painting "The incredulity of Thomas" by Caravaggio, depicts the most notorious example of doubt in history. So why did Thomas have such doubts, and how did he resolve them?

Ep 3 Left Out Of The Picture

Have you ever looked at a painting and felt like something was missing? It's not quite right and you just can't put your finger onto it. Delving into the mind of Vincent van Gogh we will search for answers that will not only help us understand his paintings, but also the man himself.

Ep 2 What Are You Worth

Have you ever wondered how much you are worth? Presenter Neale Schofield investigates the famous painting "The taking of Christ" by Caravaggio which depicts Judas selling Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, to discover why Judas thought Jesus was worth so little, and why Jesus thought Judas was worth so much.

Ep 1 A Picture of God

What is your picture of God? Presenter Neale Schoflield talks to artist Phil McKay about his painting "Hand of Jesus" to discover a new perspctive on the age old question, "Is God a good God?".

Ep 5 Money

Wall Street bankers voted themselves $28 billion in bonuses, while 2.8 billion people struggled on less than $2 per day. What can the history of art teach us about the "rights" and "wrongs" of money?

Ep 4 The Power of Forgiveness

This week on Masterstroke, Neale explores the benefits and beauty of the art of forgiveness.

Ep 3 The Mystery of Miracles

This week, Masterstroke examines what the greatest art in history tells us about the mystery of miracles.

Ep 2 The Secret of Die Schachspieler

The painting is called "The Chess Players". It's a desperate scene of a man losing his soul to the devil—or is it? What is the secret this painting hides?

Ep 1 Law & Grace

What is more important—justice or forgiveness? It's the tension that one painter struggled to resolve, and he created possibly one of the most influential paintings in Christian history.

About the show

Why did Rembrandt paint himself as the “Prodigal Son”? Why did Van Gogh paint his ginger beard on Lazarus? Why did Caravaggio paint his own head in the place of Goliath’s?


Masterstroke is a documentary series investigating some of the most famous and interesting religious art in history. At a time when many couldn’t read, art was used as the basis for an understanding of God. Each program explores the stories behind both the paintings and the artists.

Masterstroke
Categories
Documentary, Biblical Insights & Prophecy , History, Culture
Seasons
2
Episodes
12
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