Intelligence Squared: Business

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

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

Human beings have been making visual depictions of human life for tens of thousands of years. 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 what can they tell us about ourselves? In today’s episode – originally recorded live in Sotheby’s in the week that the National Portrait Gallery reopened in London – Helena Newman, Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, sat down with Barbican Art Gallery curator Eleanor Nairne, and the award-winning art historian Simon Schama, for a conversation about the enduring power of the portrait. To see any of the portraits discussed in this episode, or to watch an extended version of this talk, visit https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/sothebys-talks-celebrating-portraitureAnd, 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

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, time to highlight the touring exhibition Found Cities, Lost Objects: Women in the City, curated by Himid, which features works from the Arts Council Collection. 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-women-artists-in-the-city-with-lubaina-himidAnd, 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

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-portraitureAnd, 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

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-mooreAnd, 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

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. 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

In this episode, Y TREE’s Harriet Johnston is joined by a psychotherapist and a financial journalist for a conversation about the relationship between money and psychology. Lucy Beresford is a broadcaster and psychotherapist, and former investment banker. Robin Powell is the founding editor of the Evidence Based Investor blog. Learned behaviours – many of which we are not aware of – so often define our decision-making about our financial lives. Learning to transcend them can be difficult, and requires a deep understanding of ourselves and our own unique relationship with money. Together Harriet, Robin and Lucy discuss the psychology of investing, property ownership, and how to cultivate healthy familial relationships in relation to money and finance. The Futureverse is brought to you by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Y TREE. For more information visit y-tree.com/futureverse #financialfreedom #financialrisk #personalfinance #transparency #success #meaning #fulfillment  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it mean to be truly successful? In the latest episode of our series in which Y TREE speaks to the people we admire about what success means to them, Harriet Johnston is joined by Niall Mills, the Managing Partner of Igneo Infrastructure Partners, for a conversation that seeks to get to the heart of this age-old question. Drawing on Niall’s upbringing, his early passion for getting to the bottom of how things worked, and his career to date, Harriet and Niall delve into questions around meaning and fulfillment, the power of mentorship and ‘paying it forward’, and the importance of sustainability in any definition of success, both professionally and personally. The Futureverse is brought to you by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Y TREE. For more information visit y-tree.com/futureverse #financialfreedom #financialrisk #personalfinance #transparency #success #meaning #fulfillment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices