ICONS

How does an artwork move beyond its material form to become an icon? What gives certain objects the power to endure, to resonate far beyond their original moment, and to command lasting fascination?

Join Elif Shafak, Will Gompertz, Chloe Stead, Patrick Elliott at the National Gallery in collaboration with Sotheby’s for a special event exploring how extraordinary artworks and objects achieve iconic status, and why some come to define whole eras, ideas and ways of seeing.

Inspired by ICONS: 100 Extraordinary Objects from Sotheby’s History, published by Phaidon, this lively discussion will range across masterpieces, rediscoveries and landmarks of visual culture, including works from the Gallery’s own collection.

From rarity, beauty and provenance to myth, memory and public imagination, our speakers will explore what gives certain objects their enduring power.

You can also join this event in-person at the Pigott Theatre.

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British Turkish novelist whose work has been translated into 57 languages. She is the author of 20 books, including 14 novels, and has sold several million copies worldwide. Her work has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the RSL Ondaatje Prize and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, and she was appointed President of the Royal Society of Literature in 2025. Her next novel, 'In One Brief Moment All Eternity', will be published on 15 October.

Will Gompertz is Director of Sir John Soane’s Museum in London. He was previously Artistic Director of the Barbican and, before that, the BBC’s Arts Editor. A writer, broadcaster and curator, he is the author of several books on art and creativity, including 'What Are You Looking At?' and 'See What You’re Missing'.

Chloe Stead leads Global Private Sales across Sotheby’s Old Master division, working with collectors, institutions and dealers internationally. She joined Sotheby’s in 2009 as an Old Master specialist and later became a director of the department. She was also the auction house’s first female Old Master specialist to conduct sales in the category.

Patrick Elliott is Curator of Modern Paintings at the National Gallery. This is a new position, linked to Project Domani, the major initiative to expand the National Gallery’s collection beyond 1900, and house it in a new, purpose-built wing. He was previously Chief Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.

This is a livestream from the Pigott Theatre.

Book here to join in-person.

This is a livestream, hosted on Vimeo.

Your E-ticket will detail how to access the event livestream. You may need to select 'Skip to live' in the top left corner of the video player when you join.

A recording of this event will be made available to all ticket holders in the days following the event. This recording will be available for one month.

Automatic closed captions will be available.