The Specialist

On today's episode, Diana, Princess of Wales, and her iconic 'One Black Sheep' jumper. First worn to a Windsor polo match in 1981, the jumper was rediscovered in an attic after forty years and meticulously authenticated by Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's Global Head of Handbags and Fashion in Zurich. Further details about the episode subject. The Specialist is brought to you by Sotheby's Financial Servi...

On today’s episode, the story of Four Eggs on a Plate, a small but powerful painting by Lucian Freud. Hidden away for years at Chatsworth House, the painting was unearthed by Tom Eddison, Head of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s London, and went on to become one of the surprises of the Contemporary Art Evening Auction in 2015. Further details about the episode subject. The Specialist is brought to yo...

On this episode, 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. To tell this story to full effect, this episode will feature both Gord Duff, President of RM Sotheby’s in Blenheim, Ontario, and Marcus Breitschwerdt,...

This is The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. Explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best. The Specialist returns with more episodes weekly from October 8th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's episode, George Wachter, Sotheby's Americas Chairman, and Co-Chairman of Old Master Paintings Worldwide, takes us back over 50 years to the start of his career to tell the tale of the discovery of two remarkable Brueghel paintings, hidden in plain sight — one at the back of a wardrobe. Further details about the episode subject. The Specialist will be on a short break. It will return on...

On today’s episode, how a paper brochure began a treasure hunt to authenticate a masterpiece of modern Indian art – Jagdish Swaminathan’s “Homage to Solzhenitsyn”. Manjari Sihare-Sutin, Head of Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art Worldwide, shares the story and how it culminated in a record-breaking sale that redefined the artist’s place in the market.  Further details about the episode subjec...

On today’s episode, Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian - an artwork that provoked scandal, sparked imagination, and upended the very definition of contemporary art. David Galperin, Sotheby’s Vice Chairman, Head of Contemporary Art for The Americas, examines the complexities and challenges that come with bringing such an ineffable and metaphysical artwork to auction. An artwork that dares to ask: who set...

On today’s episode, the emergence of a monumental painting by S. Sudjojono, long hidden in a private collection. Jasmine Prasetio, Managing Director of Sotheby's Southeast Asia, first encountered the composition as a blurry photo on a mobile phone, but went on to orchestrate its record breaking sale at auction. Further details about the episode subject This is an episode of The Specialist, your we...

On today’s episode, the beauty of nature suspended for eternity. Helen Culver-Smith, Head of Decorative Arts Worldwide and Head of Fabergé and Russian works of Art, reveals how the digital discovery of an apple blossom study, rendered in gold, enamel and rock crystal by master maker Fabergé, led her down a fascinating path of provenance, all the way to Imperial Russia. ⁠⁠Further details about the...

On today’s episode, how Benjamin Doller, Chairman of The Americas, 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.  Further details about the episode subject This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In Th...

On today’s episode, Ashkan Baghestani, Head of Contemporary Art Day Sale in New York recounts his quest to trace and recontextualise the scattered corpus of artist Bahman Mohassess, and, in so doing, to restore him to his rightful place in the history of Middle Eastern art. Further details about the episode subject This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist...

On today's episode, 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. Head of Islamic and Indian Art, 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-se...

More than a masterpiece, The Scream has become a cultural icon. Simon Shaw, Senior Advisor, Impressionist & Modern Art, 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. Further details about the episode subject This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Speciali...

On today’s episode, the tangled history of a Paul Gauguin still life – once a fixture at the Musée d’Orsay and originally misappropriated from the estate of renowned art dealer Ambroise Vollard. Aurélie Vandevoorde, Head of Modern and Contemporary Art in Paris and Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s France, unpacks the complexities of the case and how this masterpiece ultimately found its way back to the...

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, Vice Chairman and Head of Impressionist & Modern Art New York and a driving force behind this shift, reflects on Carrington’s ascent and what it reveals about changing tides in collecting. Further details about the episode subjec...

On today’s episode, 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.  Further details about the episode subject This is an episode of The Specialist,...

Grégoire Billault’s personal relationship with Pierre Soulages reflects a longstanding commitment to championing the artist on a global stage. The connection culminated in the sale of a work Billault, Chairman of Contemporary Art New York, had followed for more than two decades, showcasing his adroit skill in navigating complex market dynamics. ⁠Further details about the episode subject⁠ This is a...

On today’s episode, the story of the Ming dynasty Chicken Cup, one of the most iconic objects in Chinese ceramics, which has followed Nicolas Chow, Chairman, Sotheby’s Asia and Head of Asian Art Worldwide, throughout his career and family ancestry. Further details about the episode subject This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist, explore the significance...

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, Chairman, Sotheby’s Americas, was instrumental in shaping the sale and ensuring it fulfilled its purpose. Further details about the episode subject This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Spe...

On today’s episode, 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, Head of Contemporary Art London.  Further details about the episode subject This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist, explore the sign...

The shredding of Banksy’s Girl with Balloon live at auction in 2018 has gone down in art history. Alex Branczik, Chairman and Head of Modern & Contemporary Art Europe and Asia, reveals how Sotheby’s navigated the newly titled Love is in the Bin through a media storm and into a new market moment. Further details about the episode subject This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of won...

Rubens’ early masterpiece The Massacre of the Innocents was hidden away for nearly 250 years. George Gordon, Deputy Chairman, Sotheby’s Europe and Co-Chairman of Old Master Paintings & Drawings Worldwide, 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. Further details about the...

On today’s episode, a remarkable restitution story involving the loss of a family’s Kandinsky painting in Nazi-era Germany. Helena Newman, Chairman, Sotheby’s Europe and Impressionist & Modern Art Worldwide and a trained classical violinist, brings her love of music’s rhythm and tonality to her appreciation of art, making Kandinsky one of her favourite artists. Further details about the episode su...

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 Président of Sotheby’s France Mario Tavella’s deep ties to European heritage and cultural institutions making the impossible possible. This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In...

Introducing The Specialist. Sotheby’s is the temporary custodian of some of the world’s most rare, remarkable and coveted art and objects. Our global specialists are connoisseurs and market experts in 40 countries and 70 collecting categories. In The Specialist, they will be your guides, exploring the significance and journey of an extraordinary work with those who know it best.  Your weekly dose...