The Specialist | The Rediscovery of Rubens’ The Massacre of the Innocents, with George Gordon

Welcome to Intelligence Squared where great minds meet. I'm head of programming Connor Boyle. Today, something a little different, we're excited to share with you a handpicked episode of a brand new series, The Specialist, produced by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. We've all heard the stories of the record-breaking works, headline-grabbing auctions and moments that shock the art world and beyond. But have you ever wondered what's happening behind the scenes?

what goes into valuing a masterpiece, or who the people are really behind the gavel. The specialist brings you art's most extraordinary stories, told by the experts who witness them, in short episodes, perfect for a weekend listen. Now over to the specialist. We are very fortunate because we often get to see paintings that other people can't see in private collections, often literally in attics.

And that gives us the chance to make discoveries and understand the paintings that we come across, recognizing them isn't enough. You've got to understand them and understand why they matter and then explain to people why they matter and why they're significant. Sotheby's is the temporary custodian of some of the world's most rare, remarkable and coveted art and objects. In each episode, we'll be exploring the significance and journey of an extraordinary work told by those who know it best. This is The Specialist.

We already have this episode, so unlocking it is cheap and permanent: the full transcript (13 minutes, 2,036 words), segment and word-level timestamps, and .txt, .srt, .vtt and word-level JSON downloads, as many times as you like, forever.

No account needed, we create one from your checkout email. With credits it is 1 credit; packs start at 5 episodes for $3.49, and monthly plans are cheaper still.