In The Impressionists Claude Monet (Julian Glover) looks back on his part in the remarkable story of the Impressionist movement. The three parter is based on archive letters, records and interviews from the time. It is a tale of poverty and a struggle for recognition, set against a backdrop of war and revolution.
But at the heart is a brotherhood of artists – bound by enduring friendships and a commitment to a new type of art – which survived rows, rivalries, duels and crises.
Cast: Julian Glover as Older Claude Monet; Richard Armitage as Young Monet; James Lance as Frédéric Bazille; Charlie Condou as Auguste Renoir; Andrew Havill as Edouard Manet; Aden Gillett as Edgar Degas; Will Keen as Paul Cézanne
Writers: Sarah Woods (episodes 1 and 3), Colin Swash (episode 2) / Producers and Directors: Mary Downes, Tim Dunn / Executive Producer: Kim Thomas
UK / BBC One / 3×50 minute episodes / Broadcast 30 April – 14 May 2006