On today’s episode, an episode from our friends at Sotheby's exploring the remarkable collection of Leonard A. Lauder, one of the greatest collectors and benefactors of the arts in America. At its centre is Gustav Klimt's celebrated Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer, alongside works by Henri Matisse, Edvard Munch, Vincent Van Gogh and other luminaries of modern art. Ahead of Sotheby’s landmark sale of this extraordinary collection this October, Curatorial and Collections Director at the National Portrait Gallery Flavia Frigeri, Sotheby's Chairman Impressionist and Modern Art Worldwide Helena Newman, and award-winning author James Stourton will join Director of Sir John Soane’s Museum Will Gompertz for a special discussion. Together they will explore Klimt's enduring allure – from his luminous portrait of Elisabeth Lederer to the lyricism of the Attersee landscapes – as well as Leonard Lauder's vision and insights into his once-in-a-generation collection. This podcast was recorded at Sotheby’s London in October 2025.  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

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. On today's episode, Lulu de Creel, Chairman, Sotheby’s Latin America, tells the extraordinary journey of an anonymous 17th-century portrait believed to be the only surviving likeness of Moctezuma II, the last Aztec emperor. Lulu reveals how the painting was passed down through noble families, vanished into obscurity, and then resurfaced centuries later in a Paris apartment before being repatriated to Mexico. Further details about the episode subject. 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

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. On today’s episode, Global Head of Watches Geoff Hess gives us a behind the scenes look at the rare Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, one of the most complicated wristwatches in the world and once owned by Sylvester Stallone. ⁠Further details about the episode subject.⁠ 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

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. 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 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

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. 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 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

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. 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 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, Executive Vice Present of Mercedes-Benz and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Heritage. Further details about the episode subject. 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, producing by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. 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 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, producing by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. 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 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, producing by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. 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 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, producing by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. 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 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, producing by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. 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 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, producing by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. 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 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, producing by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. 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 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, producing by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. 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 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, producing by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best. 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 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. Visit⁠ ⁠sothebys.com/sfs⁠⁠ to find out more. 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, producing by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best. 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 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. Visit ⁠sothebys.com/sfs⁠ to find out more. 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, producing by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best. 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 subject⁠ 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. Visit⁠ ⁠sothebys.com/sfs⁠⁠ to find out more. 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, produced by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best. 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 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. Visit ⁠sothebys.com/sfs⁠ to find out more. 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, produced by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best. 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 subject  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. Visit sothebys.com/sfs to find out more. 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

This is an episode of The Specialist, produced by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. In The Specialist, explore the significance and journey of an extraordinary work through the eyes of those that know it best. 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 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. Visit⁠ ⁠sothebys.com/sfs⁠⁠ to find out more. 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