The Art Angle Podcast: How a Fiery Breakup Sparked the Biggest Art Auction in Decades

The Macklowe trove hits the block at Sotheby's this fall.

Harry and Linda Macklowe.

Welcome to the Art Angle, a podcast from Artnet News that delves into the places where the art world meets the real world, bringing each week’s biggest story down to earth. Join us every week for an in-depth look at what matters most in museums, the art market, and much more with input from our own writers and editors as well as artists, curators, and other top experts in the field.

 

This week we aren’t so much going down to earth as we are climbing up into the art market stratosphere, where only the wealthiest collectors reside.

All eyes are on this tip top of the market as the art world prepares for what may be the biggest auction of the decade, Sotheby’s sale of the Macklowe collection. This star studded group of works was assembled over 50 years by the billionaire couple Harry and Linda Macklowe, but those were happier times.

Over the past five years, their divorce has grown so acrimonious that a judge ordered 64 of their most prized paintings and sculptures to be sold at auction because they couldn’t agree on how else to split the assets. The collection of work by Alberto Giacometti, Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly and many more are some of the most high quality blue chip artworks to hit the auction block in. They’re expected to fetch more than $600 million at Sotheby’s over the next six months, beginning with an evening sale on November 15th.

To find out more about how this collection came to auction and what it reveals about the state of the art market Artnet News Executive Editor Julie Halperin spoke with Artnet News resident Art Detective and Senior Reporter Katya Kazakina.

Listen to Other Episodes:

The Art Angle Podcast: Why Horror Movies Keep Haunting the Art World

The Art Angle Podcast: Judy Chicago on How to Build a Lasting Art Career

The Art Angle Podcast: 5 Technologies That Will Transform the Art World by 2030

The Art Angle Podcast: Elusive Artist Ryoji Ikeda Wants You to Bask in His ‘Data-Verse’

The Art Angle Podcast: How Art Basel Did (and Didn’t) Change After a Two-Year Hiatus

The Art Angle Podcast: Writer Roxane Gay on What Art Can Teach Us About Trauma and Healing

The Art Angle Podcast: Keltie Ferris and Peter Halley on the Mysterious Joys of Making a Painting

The Art Angle Podcast: How Facebook and the Helsinki Biennial Share a Vision for the Art World’s Future

The Art Angle Podcast: Artists in Residence at the World Trade Center Reflect on 9/11


Follow Artnet News on Facebook:


Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.