Our top three international exhibitions: Sotheby’s Russian art sales and more

This week's notable international art exhibitions also includes the story of British acclaimed artist William Blake and the winter gathering of the art world in Miami.

William Blake's Head of a Damned Soul, circa 1789-90. Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow

The winter meeting point for the art world

More than 70,000 people are drawn to Miami Beach every year, for what the organisers say is the favourite winter meeting place for the art world. Along with 250 of the world's leading galleries, Art Basel in Miami Beach brings together artists, collectors and curators. This year, the fair has nine sectors showing work from masters to emerging artists, featuring works by Pedro Reyes, Oscar Muñoz and Shinro Ohtake. There also will be performances on local beaches, merging art with the local landscapes. Art Basel in ­Miami Beach runs from December 4 to 7. Visit www.artbasel.com/miami-beach for more information.

Bid for a classic as Sotheby’s goes Russia mad

For aficionados of Russian art, Sotheby's is the auction house to watch this week. On Monday, it will hold an auction of stunning colour works by artists including Konstantin Makovsky, Nikolai Roerich and Ivan Aivazovsky. The following day, a number of sales relating to the country will take place. One of the highlights is a sale of Russian artworks, Fabergé and icons. The items provide insight into four centuries of Russian history and reveal the region's unique contribution to the arts across glass, porcelain, metalwork and jewellery. For more information, visit www.sothebys.com.

Explore the life of a printmaker extraordinaire

One of the most popular of English artists, William Blake remains one of the least understood. This landmark exhibition in the United Kingdom brings together more than 90 of Blake's most acclaimed works, showing his extraordinary technical innovations, especially in printmaking and the illuminated book. His works also inspired younger artists, such as Samuel Palmer, George Richmond and Edward Calvert, known as the Ancients. William Blake: Apprentice and Master runs at the Ashmolean in Oxford from December 4 to March 1. For more information, visit www.ashmolean.org.