Single-Owner Sale To Feature In Sotheby’s May Auctions of Impressionist & Modern and Contemporary Art 26 Works Estimated To Fetch In Excess Of $75 Million Proceeds To Benefit The Mandel Foundation

NEW YORK, 13 March 2018 – Sotheby’s is honored to announce the sale of 26 masterworks from the collection of Morton and Barbara Mandel in a dedicated auction on the evening of 16 May 2018 in New York. 

A pioneering entrepreneur and philanthropist, Morton Mandel, together with his wife Barbara, amassed an enviable collection over several decades, which spans many of the most important artistic movements of the 20th century: from Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism; to Minimalism and Pop, with an equal emphasis on paintings, works-on-paper and sculpture. 

Entitled Raising the Bar: Masterworks from the Collection of Morton and Barbara Mandel, the auction takes inspiration from one of the renowned businessman’s early slogans, “Always Trying to Raise the Bar”, and features outstanding examples by artists including Joan Miró, Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein, David Smith and Donald Judd. A selection of highlights from the collection will travel the world this spring, including exhibitions in Hong Kong, London and Los Angeles. The full collection will be on public view in Sotheby’s New York galleries in an extended and dedicated exhibition opening on 1 May.

Once described as the “epitome of the American Dream”*, Mr. Mandel rose from humble beginnings in Cleveland, Ohio to tremendous wealth and the forefront of business in just a few short decades.  In keeping with Mr. and Mrs. Mandel’s tireless commitment to charitable giving, the full proceeds of the auction, which is expected to raise in excess of $75 million, will benefit the Mandel Foundation and the causes they have championed throughout their lives.

Morton and Barbara Mandel commented: “It has been a joy for us to collect this art, and then to live with this art for so many years.”

Hugh Hildesley, Vice Chairman of Sotheby’s Trust & Estates Department remarked: “The word passionate is sometimes overused.  In the case of Morton and Barbara Mandel, there is no better adjective to describe this amazing couple’s attitude to life, their approach to collecting art, and their generous philanthropy over a broad selection of vital causes.”

Lisa Dennison, Chairman of Sotheby’s Americas, said: “Guided by their superb taste and advice from the best in the field, the Mandels approached collecting with the same diligence and thoughtfulness that led them to achieve great success in business and philanthropy. The result is a superlative collection comprised of many of the key artists who have come to define the 20th century through their innovation and groundbreaking spirit. Today’s market is more focused than ever on the connoisseurship and freshness that this collection engenders, as well as its unique blend of modern and contemporary art.”

MR. AND MRS. MORTON MANDEL

The collection of Mr. and Mrs. Mandel and the charitable plans for all its proceeds are natural extensions of two lives devoted to community enrichment, faith and relentless pursuit of excellence.

Morton Mandel was born in Cleveland, Ohio, just 15 months after his mother, Rose, immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe with her three children to join her husband.  Even in the face of the Great Depression and the ill health of Mr. Mandel’s father, the family made ends meet.  And despite their circumstances, Rose made a point of always setting aside money to help neighbors in need, instilling charity as a central part of the lives of her children from a very early age.

Though they came from humble means, Mr. Mandel and his brothers achieved extraordinary financial success. Morton Mandel was 13 when he began work, selling refreshments at the local Cleveland Municipal Stadium.  In 1940, Mr. Mandel and his brothers, Jack and Joseph, used their savings to purchase their uncle’s business, Premier Automotive Supply — an auto-parts distribution company that became rooted in providing superior customer service.  By 1960, the company was renamed Premier Industrial Corporation and had grown to encompass other acquired companies. In 1964, their company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and in 1996, it merged with Farnell Electronics to form Premier Farnell PLC in a multi-billion dollar acquisition. Equipped with his decades-long career success and wealth of business acumen, in 2012 Mr. Mandel published his book, “It's All About Who” – a roadmap to Mandel’s pioneering business strategy and humanitarian ethos.

Mr. Mandel’s professional achievements are matched by his unwavering dedication to a number of important charitable causes.  In 1953, Mr. Mandel and his brothers founded the Mandel Foundation, whose mission is “to contribute to the flourishing of the United States and Israel as just, inclusive and compassionate societies, and to improve the quality of life in both countries.”

Countless organizations – stretching from Cleveland, to New York, Boston, Washington, and Jerusalem – have benefitted from the generosity of the Mandel Foundation.  Among the beneficiaries are Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Brandeis University – which features the Mandel Center for the Humanities – and the Israel Museum, among many others.

A steadfast philanthropist in her own right, Mrs. Mandel, in recognition of her leadership experience, was inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame in 1985.