Pictured: William Schweller '25
Mr. Schweller, welcome to the Hot Bench. First, introduce yourself to this publication’s vast readership.
I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. I then went to Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine where I majored in Art History. I graduated in 2017. For five years following undergrad, I worked for a regional auction house in Westchester County, NY, just north of NYC. I started as a cataloging assistant, helping to put together sales, but after a year, I took over as the fine art specialist, auctioneer, and appraiser, responsible for all fine art lots.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, I quite enjoy looking at and learning about art. I also love to hike, both on trails and sidewalks.
So, your career in the art world is quite interesting. Tell me about what the day-to-day was like for you.
For much of my time at the auction house, I was the sole person responsible for the sale of fine art lots. We’d run auctions every four weeks, and in each sale, I averaged anywhere from 100 to 150 works of art. My days were quite varied. I spent a lot of time interfacing with potential consignors, evaluating and appraising their collections to determine what I could sell and what it would likely bring at auction. Sometimes this was done via email, but often I would visit folks in their homes. I’ve been in some pretty wild places, ranging from Fifth Avenue co-ops to storage units in rural Connecticut. I was also responsible for cataloging the art, which involved taking photographs, assessing the works’ condition, and putting together brief descriptions of the works. I’d then market the pieces, discussing them with potential buyers. I most enjoyed actually auctioning the works. These days, most bidders participate in auctions online, so there isn’t much of a physical crowd, but it is still quite thrilling to stand up there marshaling bidders, trying to get the highest price possible for my consignors.
What was the most interesting piece of art that you dealt with?
That’s a tough question. I don’t know if I could pick a single work. I was able to handle a tremendous range of works, ranging from Seventeenth Century Dutch drawings to hyper-contemporary paintings. Some works were by household names, others by artists who had never before been to market.
Do you find that the skills are transferable? This is not your admissions interview… “of course not” is an acceptable answer.
Well, I’m not looking at many paintings anymore, except for the sheep and cows hanging in Brown Hall. But, I often had to explain things to folks who weren’t particularly knowledgeable about art or the art market, and that required me to get good at distilling issues down into clear, simple answers. Professors, feel free to correct me, but I think that has helped me with cold calling.
Out of our current professors, who do you think has the best taste in art? Who would be most likely to negotiate down to half of the asking price? Feel free to answer like you’re using a blind grading number.
Oh, such a tough question. I’m not one to speculate. How do you quantify taste in art? I’m tremendously grateful that classes are in person, but it must have been interesting for those students who had Zoom lectures to see their professors’ houses in the background. I love seeing how people decorate their homes and what art they choose to live with.
You have a remarkably distinct gait. Any reason for that? I mean, seriously, I can identify you from a mile away with the effortless flow.
It could be because I’ve spent 10,000 hours in front of a mirror, perfecting my ramble, or it could be because in ninth grade, I really wanted to be cool, so I sagged my pants. I had to walk in a certain way, or else my Gap corduroys would be at my ankles. I use a belt now, but the walk’s remained the same.
Where do you see yourself in five years? Back in the Midwest? In Alaska? Raking in money for plaintiffs or defending the downtrodden?
I don’t really know where I’ll end up after law school. I am interested in the law in part because of my work at the auction house, where I encountered legal issues surrounding fine art transactions. Whether that interest will lead me to corporate work or litigation remains to be seen.
A media personality, with about as much reach as me, asks what three books you would recommend. But we don’t have time for pleasure reading. What are three hikes you’d recommend?
If we don’t have time to read, I’m not sure we have time to hike. That said, I really enjoyed hiking the Riprap Trail, up in Shenandoah. Closer to home, I’ve loved having access to the Rivanna Trail. While the sections of it closest to North Grounds do parallel the highway, it’s great being able to walk out of the library and into the woods. Next time you’re in Maine, I recommend climbing Mt. Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Remarkable views. Relatedly, I recommend Googling Marsden Hartley’s paintings of Katahdin. True masterpieces of American art.
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Interviewed by Garrett Coleman '25
zca7jp@virginia.edu