Renaissance: The Blood And The Beauty | Preview (BBC Two)

Starring Charles Dance as Michelangelo, this epic new drama-documentary series discovers how some of the greatest works of art in Western civilisation, from the Mona Lisa to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, emerge from an era of violence and bloodshed.

With contributions from contemporary artists such as Antony Gormley, Alison Lapper, and David LaChapelle, as well as historians and biographers, this thrilling three-part series explores the lives of three rival artists – Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael, who produced seductively beautiful works of art in the midst of violence and upheaval.

The young Michelangelo sets out to become an artist in Florence, and finds favour with the powerful Medici family. Leonardo da Vinci, meanwhile, struggles to find work and must take himself to the court of Milan to secure commissions from a dangerous Duke.

But warfare and political upheaval threaten both men’s lives and careers, and both are engaged in a high-stakes game of personal and political alliances. As Leonardo’s reputation grows with his work in Milan – including the Last Supper – Michelangelo must push himself to ever-greater feats of artistic endeavour.

Renaissance: The Blood And The Beauty begins Monday 2nd December on BBC Two.