Sotheby's Talks

On today’s episode, we explore the power of connoisseurship with renowned London-based dealer and collector Daniel Katz – one of the art world’s most respected and original figures, known for his deep scholarship and discerning eye. From the thrill of discovery, to what it means to truly see a work of art, Katz reflects on standout pieces in his collection and the instinct behind great acquisitions, offering a rare glimpse into the making of an extraordinary connoisseur.   This podcast was recorded at Sotheby’s London in June 2025.    To step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.    Cover Image: Nicholson Ben 1942 (H.S), 1942 © 2025 All rights reserved, DACS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s episode, we turn our attention to women artists — and the shifting dynamics of their place in the art market. This conversation unpacks the key findings of our latest Insight Report, which explores the growing presence and influence of women artists in Modern and Contemporary art.   Joining the discussion are Anders Petterson, founder and managing director of ArtTactic and co-author of the report; Jenny Waldman, Director of Art Fund; Christian Levett, collector and founder of the Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins; and Ottilie Windsor, Head of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s London. Together, they explore how the presence and influence of women artists in Modern and Contemporary art is evolving, and what this means for collectors, institutions and the market at large.   The report was produced in collaboration with ArtTactic and made possible by Sotheby’s Financial Services, whose mission is to empower collectors through asset-backed lending solutions.   This podcast was recorded at Sotheby’s London in June 2025.    To step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s episode, we’re exploring the world of Shakespeare. Sam Leith, author, journalist and literary editor of The Spectator, will be joined by Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Oxford, Tracy-Ann Oberman, who most recently starred as Shylock in her adaptation of The Merchant of Venice, and acclaimed actor Joseph Kloska. They will be revealing how different editions shaped our understanding of Shakespeare’s plays. Why do some of his most famous lines vary from version to version? What do these texts reveal about the many ways Shakespeare’s plays can be interpreted - on the page, on the stage and in the minds of each new generation? This podcast was recorded at Sotheby’s London in May 2025.  To step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. This podcast was recorded at Sotheby’s London in June 2024.  And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Visit Imaginary Conversations: An ERDEM Collection inspired by Duchess Deborah at Chatsworth House until 20th October 2024.  This podcast was recorded at Sotheby’s London in June 2024.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. You can visit the exhibition London: An Artistic Crossroads, at Sotheby’s London until 5th July 2024.  This podcast was originally recorded at Sotheby’s in London in June 2024 as part of the exhibition London: An Artistic Crossroads. Art UK is an art education charity and artuk.org is the online home for every public collection of art in the UK. And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. This podcast was originally recorded at Sotheby’s in London to celebrate Radical Modernity: From Bloomsbury to Charleston, a private selling and loan exhibition in collaboration with Charleston. And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. This podcast was recorded at Sotheby’s London in June 2024. And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. You can visit the exhibition at Sotheby’s London until 5th July 2024.  This podcast was originally recorded at Sotheby’s in London in June 2024 as part of the exhibition London: An Artistic Crossroads. Art UK is an art education charity and artuk.org is the online home for every public collection of art in the UK. To step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.  This podcast was originally recorded live at Sotheby’s in June 2023, to coincide with the reopening of the National Portrait Gallery. An extended edition is available at Sothebys.com. And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, and the role design plays in our lives.  To see the works discussed in this episode, or to watch an extended version of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/sothebys-talks/inspirational-living-important-design-with-julianne-moore And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, which was originally recorded as a live event, we are joined by two literary icons for a conversation about the beloved 19th-century novelist Jane Austen. Helen Fielding is the creator of the multi-million selling Bridget Jones novels and films, and Gill Hornby is the author of the bestselling Miss Austen, and The Story of Jane Austen. Along with Dr. Kalika Sands, a specialist from Sotheby’s Books and Manuscripts department, Helen and Gill sat down at Sotheby’s in London for a conversation about the enduring appeal and contemporary significance of Jane Austen, and the impact she has had on their own life and work.  To listen to an extended edition of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/how-jane-austen-changed-my-life  And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Edvard Munch pioneered Expressionism and embraced life’s most painful experiences to create art: his pursuit of emotional truth changed art forever. Tracey Emin, who has been a major figure in contemporary art for more than 25 years, has always been fascinated by the Norwegian master and, in 2021, she exhibited 25 of her own works alongside Munch’s oils and watercolours at the Royal Academy. In this episode originally recorded at Sotheby’s in London, 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. To see the works discussed in this episode, or to watch an extended version of this talk, visit https://sothebys.com/en/series/sothebys-talks/breathe-and-feel-suffer-and-love  And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 at Sotheby’s in London 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.  To see the works discussed in this episode, or to watch an extended version of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/sothebys-talks-celebrating-portraiture And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. To watch an extended edition of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/rothko-on-rothko Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For 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? And how much have they been able to control their own image? In today’s episode, which was originally recorded as a live event at Sotheby’s in London, Sotheby’s specialist Holly Braine was joined by Britain’s best known classicist Mary Beard for a conversation about how Western culture has represented powerful women through the ages. They discuss sculptures of ancient goddesses like Aphrodite and Athena, depictions of Queen Elizabeth I as ‘Gloriana’, and contemporary portraits of cultural icons and politicians.  To see the works discussed in this episode, or to watch an extended version of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/sothebys-talks/women-and-power-how-have-powerful-women-been-represented-in-western-culture  And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries Hans Ulrich Obrist moderated a conversation between philanthropist and Creative Director of Lopud 1483 Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, artist Olafur Eliasson and President and CEO of World Monuments Fund Bénédicte de Montlaur. Together they discussed Francesca’s restoration of the 15th-Century Franciscan monastery Lopud 1483 in Croatia. They also talked about the relationship between art, history and botany at Lopud, and the broader significance of rejuvenating neglected historical sites.  To see Lopud 1483, or to watch an extended version of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/videos/living-heritage-restoring-life-to-lopud-1483  To step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marina Abramović is one of our greatest living artists: an art world icon and a performance art pioneer. In 2023, Marina presented her solo exhibition After Life at the Royal Academy and  became the first female artist in the institution’s 250-year history to fill the entire gallery space with her art. Will Gompertz was joined by Sotheby’s Marina Ruiz Colomer and Marina Abramović for a conversation about her life and work, and what it means to be a female artist more broadly.   To see Marina’s work discussed in this episode, or to watch an extended edition of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/sothebys-talks/contemporary-conversations-marina-abramovic  And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, originally recorded at Sotheby’s in London, award-winning singer-songwriter Celeste is joined by Sotheby’s Helena Newman for a conversation about female surrealist artists, including 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.  To see the works discussed in this episode, or to watch an extended version of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/sothebys-talks/contemporary-conversations-surrealism?locale=en  And, to step further into the world of Sotheby’s, you can visit any of our galleries around the world; they’re open to the public. For more information, visit sothebys.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices