Have Your Say - British Masters

What are your thoughts on British Masters, presented by art historian James Fox? Send us your views using the form on the right and we will publish a selection below.

presenter James Fox

Your comments

Fabulous programme. Dramatic, intriguing, funny. Like no art documentary I've ever seen before. Dr Fox is a star in the making. And the production team are to be commended for finally making an art documentary that's opinionated and exciting.

Tom, Norwich

This was wonderful and I hope that BBC Four will give young presenters more opportunites to explain their passions without necessarily dumbing the material down. There is so much out there of interest and not all of us will have the opportunity to see it.

Ursula Buston, Somerset

Another smashing doc from BBC Four. Dr James Fox is everything a good presenter should be. He even dresses up smartly for the television! The programme was engrossing from start to finish. Well done to all involved.

David, Hull

Superb television! Passionate, funny, clever. I can't wait for the next two!

Mel, London

Why has BBC Four decided to add an irritating logo in the bottom left hand corner of the screen, telling us what we are listening to all the time it is being played? I know what I am listening to - that's why I am listening to it! In any case, if I didn't, I could always find out via the red button you seem so anxious for me to press.

John, Bristol

Interesting subject and I'm a big fan of Paul Nash but I have totally to disagree with previous comments about the presentation. James Fox was pretentious and so prone to exaggeration that it was painful to listen... The Apprentice comes to art criticism. The nadir was his explication of a Bomberg painting which he said was the greatest something or other while continually standing in front of it. Indeed there were few paintings that we actually got a whole view of without over fussy direction.

Mike, Sheffield

The BBC are to be congratulated for commissioning a series of programmes on British twentieth century art. It is overdue and the series provides a timely reminder of the quality of British painting during this period.
However the programmes have been marred by the continual use of some outrageously ridiculous hyperbole by the presenter. Dr Fox is keen to brand each successive chosen artist as being the best or the finest. Everyone, it seems, was in some way a genius, especially compared to what was being turned out by those beastly foreigners. In some cases (Spencer for instance) one might agree. But these constant claims of greatness came to a head when he proclaimed that Alfred Munnings was one of the greatest of all British painters. Of course it depends where you draw the line - if you were to construct a list of British artists which extended to perhaps five thousand names then one would be happy with the inclusion of Munnings - maybe even in a somewhat shorter list. But this was obviously not what Dr Fox had in mind. To include Munnings in the same pantheon as Turner, Palmer, Spencer, Constable, Burne-Jones, or indeed any of the other subjects of the second of his programmes, is laughable.
This constant recourse to overstatement and exaggeration combined with an undercurrent of xenophobia made the experience of watching an otherwise interesting programme irritating and sometimes embarrassing.

Geoffrey Smith, United Kingdom

A wonderful clear insight for all levels of art lovers. Dr Fox is sympathetic and honest without relying on gimmicks. This has brought out a wonderful feeling of the changing face of England as recorded by the best observers - artists.

Judith Gilbert, Keighley

Dr James Fox is a very charismatic presenter. Cute too! Can we have more of him on our screens please. I love his passionate presenting style. His series is gripping.

Holly, Leeds

Wonderful series on British art which my family has really enjoyed. James Fox is an outstanding presenter and I hope we get to see a lot more of him on our screens.

Helen, York

Liked the paintings by Nash and Piper in particular. I was vaguely aware of them, so it was good to expand my knowledge and put the art in its historical perspective. Someone should tell Dr Fox that English is not interchangeable with British, however. There are Scottish and Welsh painters who also count as British.

Robin, Bristol

Thoughtful, intelligent, considered, informative and inspiring - words which aptly apply to BBC Four's "British Masters", and do not apply to BBC Two's "The Impressionists".

Ken Seddon, Donaghadee, Northern Ireland

I was dismayed to find the focus only on white male artists. Where were the women painters? Perhaps BBC Four has plans for a British Mistresses? If not, why not. I thought the world had moved on to a more inclusive view of British artists.

Knittipolitti, Leeds

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