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.

VICE CHAIRMAN AND HEAD OF IMPRESSIONIST & MODERN ART NEW YORK

When Les Distractions de Dagobert shattered records, it marked not only a market milestone but also a shift in interest toward the female Surrealist market. Julian Dawes, a driving force behind this shift, reflects on Carrington’s ascent and what it reveals about changing tides in collecting.

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.

CHAIRMAN, SOTHEBY’S EUROPE AND IMPRESSIONIST & MODERN ART WORLDWIDE

A remarkable restitution story involving the loss of a family’s Kandinsky painting in Nazi-era Germany. Helena Newman, a trained classical violinist, brings her love of music’s rhythm and tonality to her appreciation of art, making Kandinsky one of her favorite artists.

DEPUTY CHAIRMAN, SOTHEBY’S EUROPE AND CO-CHAIRMAN OF OLD MASTER PAINTINGS & DRAWINGS WORLDWIDE

Rubens’ early masterpiece The Massacre of the Innocents was hidden away for nearly 250 years. George Gordon spearheaded its discovery, attribution and triumphant sale. More than 20 years on, it retains the record for the highest price paid anywhere for a rediscovered painting.

PRÉSIDENT, SOTHEBY’S FRANCE

Commissioned by the Della Rovere family and separated across the centuries, a pair of Renaissance cabinets was finally brought back together. This is a story of friendship and detective work, with Mario Tavella’s deep ties to European heritage and cultural institutions making the impossible possible.

HEAD OF CONTEMPORARY ART LONDON

The alchemy of industry experience, market intelligence and a true passion for art, and how these factors converged in the landmark sale of Jenny Saville’s Shadow Study, orchestrated by Ottilie Windsor.

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.

CHAIRMAN, SOTHEBY’S 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.

CHAIRMAN, SOTHEBY’S 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.

CHAIRMAN, CONTEMPORARY ART NEW YORK

Grégoire Billault’s personal relationship with Pierre championing the artist on a global stage. The connection culminated in the sale of a work Billault had Soulages reflects a longstanding commitment to followed for more than two decades, showcasing his adroit skill in navigating complex market dynamics.

Join us for an exploration of the endlessly fascinating world of Shakespeare — not as a fixed literary monument, but as a writer whose works remain alive and constantly open to reinterpretation. Every director, every actor brings their own vision to the plays, and each generation discovers something new. This special evening will bring together leading voices from the worlds of scholarship and performance: Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Oxford; Tracy-Ann Oberman, who recently starred as Shylock in her own adaptation of The Merchant of Venice; and acclaimed actor Joseph Kloska. As a 1640 edition of Shakespeare’s poems and a rare late quarto of Julius Caesar go under the hammer, the evening will feature lively discussion, fresh insights and a performative element that will reveal just how adaptable and relevant Shakespeare remains today.

Season 3 features conversations with tastemakers, collectors and luminaries from the world of art and culture including Kim Jones, Grayson Perry and Lady Burlington.

With a rare first edition of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience about to go under the hammer, in this episode a panel of experts have come together for a conversation about the poet, artist and visionary. Chair and cultural critic Shahidha Bari is joined by art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon, cultural historian John Higgs and Sotheby’s Selby Kiffer to explore the enduring legacy of this enigmatic genius, whose influence stretches from the psychedelic counterculture of the 1960s through to the video games, novels and designer fashion of the 21st century.

London has long been a cultural melting pot for artists from around the world who, in their own unique ways, have revealed with each touch of a brush, the impact of the dynamic environment in which they found themselves. So in celebration of its role in the artistic journeys of so many, Sotheby’s has partnered with Art UK to showcase 12 extraordinary masterpieces by international artists on loan from regional museums across the UK. London: An Artistic Crossroads will bring together works by artists who have passed through or settled in the UK during their lifetime, including Zoffany, Derain, Mondrian, Odundo and Freud.

We’re taking you along with us on this special podcast episode, where you’ll hear insights from the directors of each museum. These engaging discussions are a rare chance to uncover the unique narratives behind each work, celebrating London’s reputation as a multicultural melting pot of creativity.

London has long been a cultural melting pot for artists from around the world who, in their own unique ways, have revealed with each touch of a brush, the impact of the dynamic environment in which they found themselves. So in celebration of its role in the artistic journeys of so many, Sotheby’s has partnered with Art UK to showcase 12 extraordinary masterpieces by international artists on loan from regional museums across the UK. London: An Artistic Crossroads will bring together works by artists who have passed through or settled in the UK during their lifetime, including Zoffany, Derain, Mondrian, Odundo and Freud

To mark this exhibition, we invited art historian and former chair of Sotheby’s UK James Stourton to the stage for a talk tracing the history of London’s art scene through its golden age, celebrating the city as a multicultural melting pot of creativity.

Has London's cultural power essentially radiated outwards, influencing artists and creatives across the world? Or is London's creative preeminence dependent on the influx of global talent that has galvanised its artistic scene? In this panel discussion, curator and cultural historian Gus Casely-Hayford, journalist Dylan Jones, museum director Tim Marlow, Sotheby’s Europe chairman Helena Newman and artist Grayson Perry explore the importance of cultural exchange, regardless of its origin, in shaping London's rise as a creative powerhouse.

In celebration of Imaginary Conversations: An ERDEM Collection inspired by Duchess Deborah, join British fashion journalist Charlie Porter in conversation with Erdem Moralıoğlu, Creative Director of ERDEM, and Lady Burlington. Together they will discuss Moralıoğlu's creative process in designing a collection inspired by Duchess Deborah, drawing upon the historic textile collection and archives at Chatsworth House, as well as the creation of Imaginary Conversations, an exhibition that showcases the inspiration, craft and tools involved in translating the life and legacy of an individual into a fully realised fashion collection.

In this episode, writer, academic and critic Frances Wilson is joined by Artistic Director of Dior Homme and Vice President of Charleston, Kim Jones, Dr Darren Clarke, Head of Collections, Research and Exhibitions at Charleston and Sotheby’s, and Jen Hardie, Director and Senior Specialist in Modern British & Irish Art at Sotheby’s in London, for a conversation about the indefatigable spirit of the Bloomsbury group and the renewed interest in their work and lives today, across paintings, drawings, furniture, ceramics and literature.

In this episode, actor, filmmaker, musician and activist, Idris Elba discusses the influence and growth of African art and the creative industries on the global stage with host Alexis Akwagyiram, Managing Editor of Semafor Africa, Dana Enduno Ferriera, CEO and Founder of Pavillon54, a digital platform for sharing and promoting art from the African diaspora, and artist and art historian, Smooth Nwezi, a curator in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Co-hosted by Africell, and the Africell Impact Foundation.

Season 2 explores the power of artistic legacy through conversations with the descendants of some of the most influential figures in the history of art.

In this episode, Sotheby’s Helena Newman is joined by Paul Signac’s great granddaughter Charlotte Hellman Cachin, photographer Erik Madigan Heck, and the National Gallery’s Christopher Riopelle for a conversation about the revolutionary impact made by the Impressionists. These groundbreaking artists – Monet, Renoir, Degas, Pisarro and Sisley – defied academic norms by their use of loose brush strokes, expressive colour, and their emphasis on everyday life. They changed art forever, and their influence can be seen in the work of artists like Seurat, Van Gogh, Derain, the Cubists and the abstract expressionists, through to contemporary fashion designers and photographers. This podcast was recorded at Sotheby’s in London to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Impressionism.

In this episode, Professor Shahidha Bari is joined by Christopher Rothko, custodian of the Rothko legacy, Dr David Anfam, curator and writer, and Lisa Dennison, Sotheby’s Chairman of the Americas for a conversation about The Rothko Chapel for an inside glimpse into the history of the chapel, its ambitions for the future and the part it plays in Rothko’s ongoing legacy. This podcast was originally recorded to mark the chapel’s 50th Anniversary, following restoration work to bring the space more in line with Rothko’s original vision.

Click here to watch an extended edition of this talk.

In this episode, director of the National Portrait Gallery and trustee of Chatsworth House Trust, Nicholas Cullinan, is joined by Bella Freud, daughter of artist Lucian Freud, for a conversation that examines the stories behind three portraits of the Devonshire family painted by Lucian Freud. These include the famous ‘Woman in a White Shirt’, which marked a turning point in the artist’s style.

Season 1 of our podcast focuses on great women in the arts, past, present – and future with guests including Marina Abramović, Mary McCartney, Tracey Emin, Paloma Picasso, Julianne Moore, Mary Beard, Celeste, and Helen Fielding. These episodes address important questions with regards to the market for female makers, and, in addition, explore the role of women throughout art history, both as artist and muse.

In our first episode, acclaimed author and art historian Katy Hessel meets former National Gallery London curator Letizia Treves and Sotheby’s Edoardo Roberti for a conversation about pioneering 17th-century artist Artemisia Gentileschi, whose work – in which she painted subjects that were traditionally the preserve of male artists,– has inspired some of the greatest female artists of our time.

In this episode, two literary icons come together for a conversation about the beloved 19th-century novelist Jane Austen. Helen Fielding (creator of the multi-million selling Bridget Jones novels), and Gill Hornby (author of the bestselling Miss Austen, and The Story of Jane Austen) join Sotheby’s Dr Kalika Sands, in a conversation that explores the enduring appeal and contemporary significance of Jane Austen.

In this episode, photographer Mary McCartney, Golden Lion prize-winning artist Dame Sonia Boyce, and the Daily Telegraph’s fashion director Lisa Armstrong joined forces for a conversation celebrating female creativity, and how women have used art, fashion, and photography to reframe their gendering in art, as both subject and image-maker.

Marina Abramović is an art-world icon and a performance-art pioneer. In 2023, Abramović presented her solo exhibition 'After Life' at London's Royal Academy and became the first female artist in the institution’s 250-year history to fill the entire gallery space with her art. In this episode, Abramović joined Marina Ruiz Colomer and curator, broadcaster, and author Will Gompertz for a conversation about her life and work – and what it means to be a female artist today.

Over millennia, female power has been portrayed, mediated and exerted through visual art. But to what extent have women been packaged to fit a male template? This episode sees Sotheby’s specialist Holly Braine joined by Britain’s best-known classicist, Mary Beard, for a conversation about how Western culture has represented powerful women through the ages, from ancient goddesses like Aphrodite and Athena to Queen Elizabeth I and contemporary portraits of female icons.

Fascination with our own likeness is one of the great constants of human history – and the portrait has long been the focus of that fascination. What can portraits tell us about the world and ourselves? This episode was recorded in June 2023, in the week that London’s National Portrait Gallery reopened and features Helena Newman, Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, in conversation with the Barbican Art Gallery’s curator Eleanor Nairne and the award-winning art historian Simon Schama.

In this episode, art historian and broadcaster Carrie Scott is joined by Turner Prize-winning artist and activist Lubaina Himid, writer Lauren Elkin and Head of Modern and Contemporary African Art at Sotheby’s Hannah O’Leary for a conversation exploring modern city life from the perspective of female artists. This podcast was originally a live event, timed to highlight the touring exhibition Found Cities, Lost Objects: Women in the City curated by Himid, which featured works from the Arts Council Collection.

In this episode, Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries Hans Ulrich Obrist moderated a conversation between philanthropist and Creative Director of Lopud 1483 in Croatia, Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the artist Olafur Eliasson. Together they discussed Francesca’s restoration of the 15th-century Franciscan monastery Lopud 1483 as well as the relationships between art, history, and botany she discovered there.

There has never been a better time than now for women working in art, fashion, and design. But female artists, gallerists, and collectors have always shaped taste, pushed patriarchal boundaries, and challenged orthodoxies, to find ways of expressing themselves and championing the work of others. In this episode, originally recorded as a live event, Will Gompertz was joined by jewellery designer Paloma Picasso, art critic and 2024 Istanbul Biennale curator Iwona Blazwick, and Sotheby’s Emma Baker for a conversation about the past, present, and future of female creativity, and how women have influenced the art world as we know it today.

Julianne Moore is one of our greatest living actors: an Academy and Emmy award winner, and the first American woman to be awarded top acting prizes at the Cannes, Berlin, and Venice film festivals. She is also an avid collector. In this episode, Julianne joins curator and author Glenn Adamson, curator Dakin Hart, gallerist Jean-Gabriel Mitterrand, and Sotheby’s Florent Jeanniard, for a conversation about 20th Century designers, including Isamu Noguchi and Claude Lalanne, to reflect upon the role design plays in our lives.

Edvard Munch pioneered Expressionism and embraced life’s most painful experiences to create art: his pursuit of emotional truth changed art forever. In 2021, Tracey Emin, who has always been fascinated by the Norwegian master, exhibited 25 of her own works alongside Munch’s oils and watercolours at the Royal Academy. In this episode, Emin sat down with Sotheby’s Simon Shaw to talk about the role of women in Munch’s work and to explore why his paintings still have such a compelling hold on us today.

In this episode, award-winning singer-songwriter Celeste was joined by Sotheby’s Helena Newman for a conversation about female Surrealists, such as Leonor Fini and Leonora Carrington, and the profound impact that their work – and the Surrealism movement more broadly – has had on design and culture over the decades.