The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Front -
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ ONE episode summary
David Dimbleby ventures to the stunning South East for this
week's episode of A Picture of Britain.
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From the magnificent white cliffs of Dover and the rural idyll
of Kent, to bustling Brighton and the South Downs, David explores the
area of Britain that has always been the most at risk from enemy invaders
and has captivated artists for centuries.
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Julius Caesar first set foot here. William the Conqueror claimed
this land for the Normans. And in 1940, the last great battle for Britain's
survival was played out in the skies here.
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David learns how JMW Turner, more than any other artist,
realised that the sea defined Britain and the British character just
as much as any landscape.
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With paintings such as The Shipwreck and Snowstorm - Steam Boat Off
a Harbour's Mouth, he captured the crashing drama of the sea.
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David travels onwards to the little village of Felpham. Here, in his
only break from living in London, William Blake was
inspired to write his iconic hymn Jerusalem.
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Next, David arrives at the South Downs and Arundel Castle. This Norman
stronghold built in 1067 has been painted by scores of artists over
the years including Constable and JMW Turner.
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Constable came to Arundel ten years after Turner and was in ill health.
He found great comfort in the awe-inspiring beauty of this area, and
painted his very last work here before he died: Arundel Mill and Castle.
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In the 1920s, the composer John Ireland adopted the
South Downs as his spiritual home. David visits Chanctonbury Ring, a
great iron age hill fort crowned with a circle of beech trees, which
was the inspiration for Ireland's haunting work, Legend.
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Brighton is the next stop. Today this vibrant seaside destination is
a haven for artists and tourists alike, but it wasn't always considered
a beautiful spot for painting.
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Constable painted nostalgic and restrained views of the area but it
was William Frith's Life at the Seaside that really
captured the crowds and energy of Brighton for the first time.
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David reaches Kipling country - a little corner of
East Sussex - and considers Kipling's poem, If, before travelling to
Kent and the Garden of England.
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Here, he discovers how artist Helen Allingham created
the quintessential image of Kent as the garden of England.
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Onward to Chartwell, where Churchill's love of painting
is considered before David explores the paintings of Paul Nash.
Commissioned to be a war artist, Nash created acclaimed works such
as Battle of Britain.
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With the mighty white cliffs of Dover as a backdrop, David meets Dame
Vera Lynn to discuss her song, White Cliffs of Dover, the tune
that in Britain's darkest hour during the Second World War became a
beacon of hope across the world.
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