【NHK Culture】"Masters vs. Masters" - A New Series Unraveling the Dynamism of Western Art History Through Comparison

Comparing them reveals the "masters as human beings"

Deep explanations based on historical background provide a three-dimensional understanding of the works

Structured to be enjoyed by everyone from beginners in Western painting to art enthusiasts

Lectures by instructor Mie Sasayama, who offers a wealth of knowledge and unique, sometimes ironic perspectives, have received high praise from many participants.

NHK Culture Center Aoyama Classroom will launch a continuous lecture series, "Western Art History Through the 'VS' of Masters," starting April 8, 2026 (Wednesday), which will explore the renowned masters of Western art history in a "VS (comparison)" format.

In this course, by "comparing" the styles, philosophies, and backgrounds of painters, participants can experience the human drama and creative dynamism hidden within their works in a three-dimensional way.

Course Outline: Art History Comes Alive When Two Masters Are "Viewed Side-by-Side"

The masters who colored art history influenced each other, sometimes clashing as rivals, and thereby opened new doors to art.

In each session of this course, a pair of masters will be selected, and their relationships, aesthetics, philosophies, and differences in position will be carefully compared.

For example,

Filippo Lippi vs. Botticelli: The Reality of the Master-Apprentice Relationship

Leonardo vs. Michelangelo: The Fundamental Conflict Between Painter vs. Sculptor

Manet vs. Degas: Two Modernists Who Seem Similar Yet Are "Different"

Through these "VS compositions" of masters whose stories are told across generations, the dramas and values behind their works will vividly emerge.

◆Annual Curriculum (12 sessions in total)

The following 12 themes will be covered once a month from April 2026 to March 2027.

The following 12 themes will be covered once a month from April 2026 to March 2027.

① April 8 Ghiberti vs. Donatello "The Door to the Renaissance"

② May 13 Filippo Lippi vs. Botticelli "Master and Apprentice. Who Wins?"

③ June 10 Da Vinci vs. Michelangelo "Fundamentally Painter vs. Sculptor"

④ July 8 Caravaggio vs. Rembrandt "Handling Light and Shadow"

⑤ September 9 Rubens vs. Van Dyck "If only Rubens hadn't been there..."

⑥ September 30 Velázquez vs. Murillo "Upwardly Mobile vs. Locally Focused"

⑦ October 14 Gainsborough vs. Hogarth "Both are uniquely British"

⑧ November 11 Millet and Corot "Don't lump us together as Barbizon School."

⑨ December 9 Millais and Rossetti "The Complex Relationships of the Pre-Raphaelites"

⑩ January 13 Turner vs. Constable "What did they really think of each other?"

⑪ February 10 Manet vs. Degas "Birds of a Feather"

⑫ March 10 Van Gogh and Gauguin "The Two Who Couldn't Get Along"