[1A, Parthenon at Acropolis, Athens] Hi, I'm Rick Steves, here with the story of Europe's art, from prehistory to the present. All my life, art has brought me great joy in my travels. And I've learned the more we understand art, the more we appreciate it. In this six-hour series, we'll enrich your understanding and therefore your enjoyment of European art. Thanks for joining us.

[3A, Erechtheion Temple with caryatids, Acropolis, Athens] The story of Europe is shaped by its art and its art is shaped by its story. In this six-part series, we'll track the exciting evolution of European art and architecture over the centuries.

[4, Montage includes: Cave paintings, Lascaux; Pyramids, Giza; Acropolis, Athens; Eltz Castle, Germany; Amiens Cathedral, France; Renoir's Bal du Moulin de la Galette; Klimt's The Kiss; Munch's The Scream; Picasso's Guernica; and Picasso's Joie De Vivre] We'll venture from prehistoric cave paintings to the rise of great civilizations: Egypt, Greece, and Rome. After a thousand years of Middle Ages — with its great castles, soaring cathedrals, and radiant religious art — we'll see how the spirit of the ancient world was "reborn" in the Renaissance, which produced some of the world's greatest masterpieces. Tracing the rise of kings with their awe-inspiring palaces and dramatic art, we'll see how that old world was eventually toppled by Revolution, to be replaced with modern industry and the art of a prosperous belle époque. And we'll finish by careening through Europe's tumultuous 20th century, with hard times…great times…and the art that helped tell the story.