Baroness Marion Lambert (1943 – 28 May 2016) was a Swiss art collector, and the wife of Baron

Philippe Lambert Baron Philippe Lambert (March 1930 – September 2011) was a Belgian banker and art collector, of the Bank Brussels Lambert banking dynasty, and the husband of fellow art collector Baroness Marion Lambert. He was born in March 1930, the son of Bar ...

of the

Bank Brussels Lambert Bank Brussels Lambert (BBL, french: Banque Bruxelles Lambert) was a Belgian bank that was created through merger in 1975 and became part of ING Group in 1998. It provided retail and commercial banking services to individuals and businesses in Belgi ...

banking dynasty. She was described as "one of the first collectors and patrons of contemporary photography".

Early life

Marion Lambert was born Marion de Vries in 1943, into a prominent Swiss family of Dutch descent. She was raised in Geneva.

Art collector

Lambert has been called "one of the first collectors and patrons of contemporary photography". In a November 2004, she sold her entire collection of about 300 photographs mostly from the 1980s, entitled ''Veronica's Revenge'', at Phillips de Pury in Chelsea, New York for a total of $9.2 million. Her original intention was for the collection to hang in the new headquarters of

in Geneva, but the directors found the works "simply too shocking". New records were set for works by Barbara Kruger, Charles Ray, Cindy Sherman, Mike Kelley, Richard Prince, and

Louise Lawler Louise Lawler (born 1947) is a U.S. artist and photographer living in Brooklyn, New York.Louise Lawler ...

. From 3 to 14 October 2015, 306 objects from the Lambert Art Collection with estimates from £20 up to £3 million were on show at Ely House in Dover Street, and then auctioned by

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...

on 14 October 2015. Lambert and many of the objects in the auction appear in episode two of '' The Extraordinary Collector'', presented by Gordon Watson.

Personal life

In 1975, Marion married Baron

, and they had two children together, a son, Henri Lambert, and Philippine Lambert, who died by suicide aged 20. Her suicide note and diaries accused a prominent family friend of sexual abuse. The Lamberts lived in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

, Switzerland,

Death

On 24 May 2016, she was hit by a bus driver on Route 73 near

Bond Street tube station Bond Street is a London Underground and Elizabeth line station in Mayfair, in the West End of London. Entrances are on Oxford Street, near its junction with New Bond Street, and on Hanover Square. The station is on the Central line, between ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. She died from head injuries on 28 May 2016.

References

External links

Lambert Art Collection, 2015 sale
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lambert, Marion 1943 births 2016 deaths Swiss art collectors Women art collectors Curators from Geneva Swiss women curators Pedestrian road incident deaths Road incident deaths in London