Exceptional fine art, jewelry, furniture and decoration from the collection of Rachel Lambert Mellon, who died earlier this year at the age of 103 will be offered by Sotheby’s in a series of auctions this fall in New York. The auctions, starting in November, will be among the most highly anticipated sales from a fabled family collection, with the more than 2,000 individual items which together have an estimated value in excess of $100 million.
The collection, which was acquired over a lifetime, is drawn from the Mellons’ residences in the United States and abroad. Proceeds from the sales will benefit The Gerard B. Lambert Foundation, a charitable entity established by Mrs. Mellon in memory of her father. The Foundation supports the Oak Spring Garden Library, Mrs. Mellon’s celebrated collection of rare books, manuscripts, works of art and artifacts relating to horticulture, landscape design and natural history.
Bill Ruprecht commented: “Sotheby’s is immensely honored to offer collectors a rare glimpse into the life of Mrs. Mellon, whose personal collections reflect the taste and style for which she was long admired.”
Mrs. Mellon’s collection will join those in a long line of iconic American women whose estates have been presented by Sotheby’s, including that of her close friend Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
