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celebration of the most iconic artworks and objects to pass through our doors as an international auction house. Spanning time and mediums – from a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex to Maurizio’s Cattelan infamous banana – the book explores their significance and journey to our salesrooms. Presenting works by titans of art history and from some of the most prestigious collections entrusted to us, enjoy behind-the-scenes insight to the pivotal moments in the art market.
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The Chicken Cup: Mankind’s Most Faked Object with Nicolas Chow
CHAIRMAN, ASIA AND HEAD OF ASIAN ART WORLDWIDE
The story of the Ming dynasty Chicken Cup, one of the most iconic objects in Chinese ceramics, which has followed Nicolas Chow throughout his career and family ancestry.
The Greatest Persian Manuscript: A Story Fit For Kings with Benedict Carter
HEAD OF ISLAMIC AND INDIAN ART
The legendary Shahnameh – the Persian Book of Kings – an epic poem composed of around 50,000 rhyming couplets that recounts the mythical and historical past of the Persian Empire. Benedict Carter tells the tale of how one remarkable version of the Shahnameh, containing 258 pictures, was split up. And takes us through to the spectacular, record-setting sale of one of its illustrated folios.
A 10-Year Vermeer Attribution Project with Gregory Rubinstein
HEAD OF OLD MASTER AND EARLY BRITISH DRAWINGS WORLDWIDE
Greg Rubinstein’s journey leading the decade-long effort to reestablish a once-doubted Vermeer as an authentic, autograph work. This extraordinary achievement in scholarship has redefined the painting’s cultural significance and market value.
David's Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis with Benjamin Doller
CHAIRMAN OF THE AMERICAS
Benjamin Doller reattributed ‘Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis’ to Jacques-Louis David. Long believed to have been painted by a student of David, he was able to authenticate it before many modern analysis techniques were available.
The Most Valuable Car in the World
with Gord Duff
PRESIDENT OF RM SOTHEBY’S
and Marcus Breitschwerdt
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF MERCEDES-BENZ AND CEO OF MERCEDES-BENZ HERITAGE
The extraordinary story of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé – a car so rare and revered that few believed it would ever leave the Mercedes-Benz museum. Yet it went on to become the most expensive automobile in history.
The Untold Story of the Shredded Banksy with Alex Branczik
CHAIRMAN AND HEAD OF MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART EUROPE AND ASIA
The shredding of Banksy’s Girl with Balloon live at auction in 2018 has gone down in art history. Alex Branczik reveals how Sotheby’s navigated the newly titled Love is in the Bin through a media storm and into a new market moment.
The Multi-Million Dollar Banana with David Galperin
VICE CHAIRMAN, HEAD OF CONTEMPORARY ART FOR THE AMERICAS
Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian - an artwork that provoked scandal, sparked imagination, and upended the very definition of contemporary art. David Galperin examines the complexities and challenges that come with bringing such an ineffable and metaphysical artwork to auction. An artwork that dares to ask: who sets the value of art?
Clyfford Still: The Mission to Establish a Museum with Lisa Dennison
CHAIRMAN, AMERICAS
In a rare move, four paintings by Abstract Expressionist Clyfford Still were released from the artist’s estate to support the founding of a museum in his honor. Lisa Dennison was instrumental in shaping the sale and ensuring it fulfilled its purpose.
The Scream Heard Around the World with Simon Shaw
SENIOR ADVISOR, IMPRESSIONIST & MODERN ART
More than a masterpiece, The Scream has become a cultural icon. Simon Shaw oversaw the landmark auction of the work, a sale that offers insight into today’s art market and shows how the piece resonates with a universal human truth.