John L. Marion is an American auctioneer and philanthropist. He served as the Chairman of Sotheby's () from 1975 to 1994.

Early life

John L. Marion was born in

Gardiner, New York Gardiner is a town in the south-central part of Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,610 at the 2020 census. History The first settlers in the region were Huguenots from France. Gardiner was created from parts of New P ...

.Anne Windfohr Wed to John L. Marion
'' The New York Times'', March 27, 1988 His father, Louis J. Marion, was the President of Parke-Bernet Galleries. He graduated from

Fordham University Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...

in New York City in 1956. He then served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy. He went on to study the decorative arts at Columbia University.

Career

He started his career as an auctioneer at Sotheby's in 1960. He became president in 1972 and Chairman in 1975.Katya Kazakina
Rothko ‘No. 1’ Sells for $75 Million at Sotheby’s in NYC
, ''Bloomberg BusinessWeek'', November 13, 2012 During the course of his career, he oversaw the sale of ''Irises'' by Vincent van Gogh for US$53.9 million, ''Yo Picasso'' for US$47.9 million and ''Au Lapin Agile'' for US$40.7 million (both of which by Pablo Picasso), as well as ''Interchange'' by Willem de Kooning for US$20.7 million, and ''False Start'' for US$17 million and ''Two Flags'' US$12.1 million (both of which are by Jasper Johns).Cheryl Lavin
As chairman of Sotheby's auction house, John L. Marion has...
'' The Chicago Tribune'', January 7, 1990Suzanne Muchnic
Sotheby's Marion: Any Number Can Play the Auction Game
'' The Los Angeles Times'', November 23, 1989 In 1989, with

Christopher Andersen Christopher Peter Andersen (born May 26, 1949) is an American journalist and the author of 35 books, including many bestsellers. Life A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Andersen joined the staff of ''Time'' magazine as a co ...

, he co-wrote, ''The Best of Everything: The Insider's Guide to Collecting--For Every Taste and Every Budget'', published by Simon & Schuster. The book suggests anyone can attend auctions and become a collector, even on a limited budget. He retired in 1994. He still serves on its Advisory Board.

Philanthropy

The John L. Marion Chair in Art History, Painting, and Sculpture at Fordham University is named in his honor. It was endowed by the Burnett Foundation, where he serves on the Board of Trustees.

Personal life

He was the fourth husband of philanthropist Anne Windfohr Marion. They were married at the Church of the Heavenly Rest on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, New York City, in 1988. The ceremony was performed by Reverend C. Hugh Hildesley. His wife passed in November 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marion, John L. Living people People from Ulster County, New York People from the Upper East Side Fordham University alumni Columbia University alumni American chief executives Philanthropists from New York (state) American auctioneers Year of birth missing (living people)