The Specialist

Latest Episodes:

The Forgotten Swaminathan Triptych, with Manjari Sihare-Sutin Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

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 subject

This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best.

The Specialist is brought to you by Sotheby's Financial Services. SFS offers asset-based loans to unlock the value of your fine art, automobiles and other luxury collectibles.

To step further into the World of Sotheby’s, visit any one of our galleries, which are open to the public. Explore more at sothebys.com.

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The Multi-Million Dollar Banana, with David Galperin Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

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 sets the value of art?

Further details about the episode subject

This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best.

The Specialist is brought to you by Sotheby's Financial Services. SFS offers asset-based loans to unlock the value of your fine art, automobiles and other luxury collectibles.

To step further into the World of Sotheby’s, visit any one of our galleries, which are open to the public. Explore more at sothebys.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

S. Sudjojono and the Awakening of Indonesian Modern Art, Jasmine Prasetio Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

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 weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best.

The Specialist is brought to you by Sotheby's Financial Services. SFS offers asset-based loans to unlock the value of your fine art, automobiles and other luxury collectibles.

To step further into the World of Sotheby’s, visit any one of our galleries, which are open to the public. Explore more at sothebys.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fabergé’s Rediscovered Imperial Flower, with Helen Culver-Smith Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

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 episode subject⁠

This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best.⁠⁠⁠

The Specialist is brought to you by Sotheby's Financial Services. SFS offers asset-based loans to unlock the value of your fine art, automobiles and other luxury collectibles.

To step further into the World of Sotheby’s, visit any one of our galleries, which are open to the public. Explore more at⁠⁠ ⁠sothebys.com⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David's Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis, with Benjamin Doller Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

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 The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best.

The Specialist is brought to you by Sotheby's Financial Services. SFS offers asset-based loans to unlock the value of your fine art, automobiles and other luxury collectibles.

To step further into the World of Sotheby’s, visit any one of our galleries, which are open to the public. Explore more at ⁠sothebys.com⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bahman Mohassess’ Enduring Legacy, with Ashkan Baghestani Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

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, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best.

The Specialist is brought to you by Sotheby's Financial Services. SFS offers asset-based loans to unlock the value of your fine art, automobiles and other luxury collectibles.

To step further into the World of Sotheby’s, visit any one of our galleries, which are open to the public. Explore more at sothebys.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Greatest Persian Manuscript: A Story Fit For Kings, with Benedict Carter Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

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-setting sale of one of its illustrated folios.

⁠Further details about the episode subject⁠

This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best.

The Specialist is brought to you by Sotheby's Financial Services. SFS offers asset-based loans to unlock the value of your fine art, automobiles and other luxury collectibles.

To step further into the World of Sotheby’s, visit any one of our galleries, which are open to the public. Explore more at⁠ ⁠sothebys.com⁠⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Orsay to Auction: The Turbulent Journey of Vollard’s Gauguin, with Aurélie Vandevoorde Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

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 market.

Further details about the episode subject

This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best.

The Specialist is brought to you by Sotheby's Financial Services. SFS offers asset-based loans to unlock the value of your fine art, automobiles and other luxury collectibles.

To step further into the World of Sotheby’s, visit any one of our galleries, which are open to the public. Explore more at sothebys.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Scream Heard Around the World, with Simon Shaw Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

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 Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best.

The Specialist is brought to you by Sotheby's Financial Services. SFS offers asset-based loans to unlock the value of your fine art, automobiles and other luxury collectibles.

To step further into the World of Sotheby’s, visit any one of our galleries, which are open to the public. Explore more at ⁠sothebys.com⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Rise of Carrington and the Female Surrealists, with Julian Dawes Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

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 anda driving force behind this shift, reflects on Carrington’s ascent and what it reveals about changing tides in collecting.

Further details about the episode subject

This is an episode of The Specialist, your weekly dose of wonder. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best.

The Specialist is brought to you by Sotheby's Financial Services. SFS offers asset-based loans to unlock the value of your fine art, automobiles and other luxury collectibles.

To step further into the World of Sotheby’s, visit any one of our galleries, which are open to the public. Explore more at ⁠sothebys.com⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices