Sotheby's art expert exposes five centuries of history, scandals, big wins and horrifying losses in the international art world
Philip Hook is a Board member and senior director of Impressionist & Modern art at Sotheby's in London. He previously worked at Christie's in the 19th Century Paintings Department. He has appeared regularly on Antiques Roadshow and is the author of five novels and many books on the art world, including Breakfast at Sotheby's (2013) which was a book of the year in the Sunday Times, Spectator, Financial Times, Guardian and Mail on Sunday.
Hook...writes suavely and racily...has a fabulous ear for
anecdotes...his entertaining book has a Wodehousian tone that makes
even the most heinous act it describes glint with comedy
*Sunday Times*
Fascinating and elegantly written...both wise and timely
*Guardian*
Wonderfully entertaining...full of cracking stories
*Mail on Sunday*
Fascinating...Hook writes with honesty and wry detachment
*Telegraph*
A pleasure to read
*Times*
Illuminating...combines expertise with irreverence
*Observer*
Fascinating
*Daily Mail*
Entertainingly written
*Apollo Magazine*
Hook writes...eloquently and knowledgeably...witty and erudite
*World of Interiors*
Urbane and witty
*Spear's Magazine*
Remarkable
*The Arts Desk*
Praise for Breakfast at Sotheby's
'This book is a learned and thoughtful work of art history, but it
also 'investigates in prurient detail the guilty but
ever-fascinating relationship between art and money' with great
wit
*Daily Mail*
A cultured, witty, clear-eyed, worldly teacher with a fully
functioning sense of humour. A real delight.
*Spectator*
He writes better about the physical nature and impact of painting
than anyone I have read for years.
*Daily Telegraph*
Authoritative without being pompous and happy to mock his trade's
absurdities, he explores offbeat subjects ... Even those who don't
know much about art will find lots to like here.
*Guardian*
A breezy, whimsical and often wry compendium, chock-full of
hard-won wisdom about what makes someone spend millions of dollars
to buy an artwork at auction.
*New York Times*
Mr Hook's] delightful Breakfast at Sotheby's is a house sale of a
book, a chance for him to clear out 35 years of memories as an art
dealer and auctioneer, first at Christie's and then Sotheby's, a
rival auction house. Besides the colourful stories, Mr Hook offers
various theories about the art world, and keen insight on that
vexing question of what gives art value. Amid the well-known
answers (provenance, colour, "wall power") are some less obvious
observations, both relevant and delightful.
*Economist*
It's very hard to write an amusing book about art that has some
serious things to say. But Philip Hook has done it.
*Sunday Times Books of the Year*
A winner. Readers will learn more about the modern art market in
this simple book than in any college course.
*Kirkus Reviews*
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