Henri Toulouse-Lautrec was ultimately, a tragic figure in the history of art. Crippled by an ill-proportioned body, he lived for just 36 years before the effects of alcoholism and syphilis took their final toll. His dissolute life spent in the brothels and nightclubs of late 19th century Paris provided the subject matter for his finest work. His radical, boldly-colored paintings and posters of the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub succeeded in conveying the unique feeling and energy of contemporary Parisian nightlife.

In 1893, a Norwegian artist created a masterpiece which became a defining image of the 20th Century. The Scream is a picture whose sense of anguish reveals much about our own lives, as well as the life of its creator. All his life, Edvard Munch suffered the consequences of a childhood surrounded by madness and death.

Paul Gauguin was thirty-five when he made the momentous decision to abandon his lucrative career as a Paris stockbroker and devote himself full-time to painting. Gauguin's bold use of flat, unmixed color gave his paintings a strong sense of personal expression, but his work struggled to find acceptance at the time. Poverty and obscurity dominated Gauguin's years as an artist. Not even a move to Tahiti could bring him happiness. Yet the paintings that he created there are now recognized as masterpieces of the Post-Impressionist age.

Henri Rousseau was a true amateur. His professional life was spent working as a customs official. But in his spare time, he painted and was utterly convinced of the greatness of his art, despite his complete lack of formal training. Although he was heavily criticized by many for his use of brightly colored images and child-like techniques, he did bring a sense of vitality, charm and innocence to his painting.

Paul Cézanne sought a method of capturing the underlying structure of any subject matter. His eventual triumph derived from a revolutionary new approach to color and to perspective. His paintings were often derided by the critics, but by the end of his life, his genius was beginning to be appreciated. Cézanne's influence on 20th century artists was so great that he is now referred to as the "Father of Modern Painting."

Brilliant but tormented Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh is profiled through his art, his letters and expert commentary in this engrossing documentary. Famous for his thick, swirling brushstrokes, van Gogh -- the son of a pastor -- battled frequent bouts of madness throughout his short life and committed suicide at age 37. Though he was once the quintessential starving artist, his masterpieces now fetch millions of dollars.