The Shermans divested a further 100 works at auction in May.

Gene said Brian was a star, a hero, inspiration and husband “without peer – constant in his support of my endeavours, fiercely protective, wise in his counsel, gracious, dignified and elegant even through the long decade when Parkinson’s relentlessly tore through his body”.

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With daughter Ondine, Brian championed the animal rights advocacy group, Voiceless.

“His unswerving devotion to the planet’s non-human species – not just the companion animals loved by so many of us – but a devotion from deep inside him to the billions of neglected and forgotten living creatures who, caged and cultivated for our gastronomic pleasure, remain hidden from sight,” Gene said.

Ondine Sherman said her father never wavered in the belief that they could make a difference for their animal kin.

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“He gathered inspiring people, dedicated his own personal resources, activated his creative out-of-the-box thinking, and, together with a tonne of hard work, we built Voiceless into a force for good. A strong believer in animal rights, animal law, and the power of persuasion, Brian’s tenacity and devotion to animal protection were infinite.

“He led with a big, kind heart, as well as strategy, intelligence, generosity and charisma. Those who had the privilege of knowing him, or even sharing a conversation, often felt they had been deeply touched and changed.”

Sherman documented his struggles with Parkinson’s disease in his memoir, Walking Through Honey. It was a condition that affected his speech and mobility.

On publication, Sherman said he felt he had a civic duty to document his life with the disease. “It will be a permanent record that bears witness to my experience,” he wrote.

He is survived by his wife Gene, children Emile and Ondine, their partners Caroline and Dror, and six grandchildren.

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