Great Art Wednesday - The Danish Collector

Great Art Wednesday transports you  into the halls of the most awe-inspiring art exhibitions on the planet. Each month, we present documentary films that not only showcase breathtaking artwork but also feature in-depth commentary from renowned art historians and critics.

From Hansen’s beautiful house and gardens at Ordrupgaard to the streets of bohemian Paris, The Danish Collector takes you on a journey to discover some of the best examples of 19th-century French art ever collected by Danish businessman Wilhelm Hansen.

For many years no-one was interested in the art of the Impressionists. Artists like Monet, Degas and Renoir were vilified, attacked, and left penniless as a result.

Then, something remarkable happened. A new breed of collectors emerged and, before long, they were battling to acquire any work by these new, radical artists that they could find. Amongst them was the visionary Danish businessman Wilhelm Hansen. It was an extraordinary moment in art history; full of drama, intrigue and subterfuge.

Some collectors we may recognize and some we may not, but Hansen amassed a remarkable collection housed at his summer home, Ordrupgaard, on the outskirts of Copenhagen. Exhibition on Screen tells his fascinating story and, with exclusive access to a sell-out exhibition at London’s Royal Academy, brings the extraordinary collection to the big-screen in glorious high-definition.