The Apollo Podcast

In a world suffused with digital images, have we started to forget how to appreciate objects? Exceptional objets d’art may attract crowds or fetch eye-watering prices, but how many of us now have the skills to fully evaluate the artistry, rarity and material value of historical furniture, silver, ceramics or glass – let alone pronounce on their authenticity? In this Apollo podcast, sponsored by Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Ann-Marie Richard discusses how one might set about gaining such knowledge, drawing on her experience as Program Director of the MA Fine and Decorative Art and Design at Sotheby’s Institute, New York. Richard makes the case for the durability of important decorative art objects, in contrast to the ephemerality of so much contemporary design. She describes what it means to teach ‘how much an object weighs, what it smells like’ and explains why ‘you need to use all of your senses’ to appreciate and judge materials – as well as why anyone serious about objects should always carry a tape measur