A trilogy of dramas by Leslie Megahey examining the lives and work of French neoclassical and romantic painters.
This series consists of three self-contained films. “The Passing Show” follows the revolutionary painter Jacques-Louis David (James Laurenson) as he chronicles the fall of the French monarchy and the rise of Napoleon, his story framed by a conversation with the libertine Casanova (Nicholas Amer). “Slaves Of Fashion” examines the career of David’s pupil, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (Anthony Bate), contrasting his rigid classicism with the burgeoning Romanticism of his great rival, Eugène Delacroix (Ellis Jones). The final part, “Men And Wild Horses,” centres on the tormented genius Théodore Géricault, whose story is told through the eyes of his biographer Charles Clément (Alan Dobie).
Leslie Megahey’s trilogy is a formidable work of television as art history. Written, produced, and directed by a single author, the three films possess a unified and deeply analytical vision. The series abandons simple biography for a more rigorous examination of the titanic shift from Neoclassicism to Romanticism in French painting. Each film uses a distinct narrative frame: David is viewed through the cynical eyes of Casanova, Ingres is defined by his bitter rivalry with Delacroix, and Géricault is resurrected through the memories of his biographer. This structure allows Megahey to interrogate the relationship between an artist, their models, and the society they inhabit. The production turns complex art theory into compelling human drama.
Broadcast: BBC Two, 3 Episodes, Wednesdays, 12 February – 26 February 1986
Written, Produced and Directed by: Leslie Megahey
Main Cast: James Laurenson (Jacques-Louis David), Nicholas Amer (Casanova), Anthony Bate (Ingres), Ian Holm (Voice), Alan Dobie (Charles Clément), David Markham (Dorcy), Frank Middlemass (Charlet), Christopher Lillicrap (Amaury-Duval), Linda Polan (Madame Ingres), Michael Kilgarriff (Sardanapalus), Martin Jarvis (Voice), Andrew Sachs (Voice)
