BBC Documentaries

A Portrait of Scotland (2009x34)

Date de diffusion: Sept 07, 2009

Peter Capaldi reveals a flair for presenting in this new documentary looking at the art of Scotland, as it reflects the changing face of the nation as part of BBC Four's This is Scotland season. The actor, a graduate of the Glasgow School Of Art, brings an interesting perspective to this feature-length piece, admitting that his early gift for drawing fell by the wayside as a young man but that he has once again taken to sketching. Peter doesn't pretend to be an expert, but acts as an intuitive guide to cottish art in this programme, which spans the 17th century through to the modern-day Glasgow Boys. Dropping into his alma mater, Peter says: "What gift I had was for drawing faces, so I'd certainly come to the right place if I wanted to learn that most particular of Scottish arts – the portrait. But then, you see, punk rock happened and whole armies of us abandoned our surplus greatcoats in favour of peroxide hair, pvc trousers and guitars. With this programme, I've been offered a second chance to learn anew about the great traditions and history of Scottish painting." With a quizzical look when talking to experts, Peter takes a tour through the early days of Scottish art and its influences, such as the Enlightenment, the Ossian works and representations of famous Scots such as Burns. He radiates a keen eye and accessible passion for the subject when viewing the paintings featured or talking to some of the major living Scottish artists, including Alison Watt, John Byrne, Sandy Moffat, Peter Howson and Calum Colvin.