Historian Simon Schama explores the relationship between culture and the natural environment. He begins by looking at forests - places of myth and memory, fear and worship.
Simon Schama examines how rivers were a source of inspiration to 19th century poets, painters and composers.
Mountains have traditionally been regarded as sacred places. Simon Schama looks at the different ways in which they have been conquered.
Historian Simon Schama takes a look at the way in which the sea has fired the imagination of writers, painters and explorers.
Historian Simon Schama looks at paintings by Poussin and the writings of Horace, Virgil, Rousseau and Thoreau as he investigates the theme of Arcadia.
Sir Simon Schama’s first foray into TV presenting, Landscape and Memory, presented a unique take on the links between nature and art. The series was based on his 1995 book, about which he had said, 'If ever there was a book that was impossible to televise, this would be it.' He tells us how he was persuaded otherwise. Simon explains the background to this thought-provoking series, in which each episode had an aspect of nature - forests, seas, rivers and mountains - as its theme. We discover how it came to combine the imaginative use of a studio, stunning landscape shots and fascinating archive. Join us as we learn how a baby crocodile and some Nile toads helped explain why a mosaic of the flooded Nile ended up in Rome, how Simon discovered Tom Waits and how his love of film helped inspire some of the series’ standout moments.
