Product Description
Just as William Goldman, the ultimate screenwriter, took us inside Hollywood, Simon de Pury, the ultimate art player, will take us inside an even more secretive business, whose staggering prices, famous collectors, and high crimes are front page news almost every day. The former Chairman of Sotheby's Europe, the former owner of Sotheby's rival Phillips de Pury, and currently a London-based dealer and advisor to great collectors around the world, Simon has one of the highest profiles of any non-artist in the art world. Even though he has an ancient title and the aura of an elegant Swiss banker, Simon is famous as an iconoclast and is known as "The Mick Jagger of Auctions" for his showmanship and exuberance. His whole life in art has been devoted to bringing art to the public and to the juxtaposition of high and low. Movie stars, musicians, and athletes compete with hedge funders and billionaires for the great art, and Simon is their pied piper; he wants to turn the world to art and this book will be his message.
Reviews/Praise
"Lister’s crisp English accent reflects the poshness of de Pury’s station, and he deftly navigates the pronunciation of countless names, places, and titles of artworks from all over the world." —Book List Audio Review
"Any who would learn about the art trade should begin here: the audio version makes for a powerful and involving listen." —Midwest Book Review
"Narrator Ralph Lister's ability to dramatize this process and its insights creates an audio discussion that should reach far beyond audiences of art enthusiasts and into the general public." —Donovan's Literary Services