Durand-Ruel: The Art Dealer Who Liked ImpressionistsBefore They Were Cool

Paul Durand-Ruel, shown above in his gallery in 1910, acquired some 5,000 impressionist works longbefore others were buying them. Dornac/Durand-Ruel & Cie/Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Arthide caption

itoggle caption Dornac/Durand-Ruel & Cie/Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art

It might seem unusual for an exhibit to focus on a man who sold paintings rather than the artistswho painted them. But there was one particular 19th century Paris art dealer who shaped the artmarket of his day and ours by discovering artists who became world-wide favorites. He's now thesubject of a major exhibition in Philadelphia.

Paul Durand-Ruel was quite the shopper. He was the first buyer of Renoir's Luncheon of the BoatingParty, Monet's Stacks of Wheat (End of Day Autumn), some 100 works in the Muse d'Orsay'simpressionist collection in Paris, and more than than 100 paintings in Dr. Albert Barnes' Foundationin Philadelphia all purchased from Durand-Ruel.

Durand-Ruel purchased some 200 of Edouard Manet's works, including his 1864 painting The Battleof the USS Kearsarge and the CSS Alabama. Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art

"He bought over 1,000 Monets, 1,500 Renoirs, 800 Pissarros, 400 Sisleys, 400 Cassatts, and about200 Manets," says Philadelphia Museum of Art curator Jennifer Thompson. "So over 5,000impressionist pictures all told."

It was Durand-Ruel who spotted their talent before anyone else. In 1870, during the Franco-PrussianWar, Durand-Ruel packed up all his stock, left Paris and went to London. There, an artist friend alsoan migr gave him some advice: He should go check out the work of two guys named Monet andPissarro.

Or, at least that's how Thompson's co-curator Joe Rishel tells it. Thompson has a slightly differentversion. Here's how she says it happened: "One of his artists came in one day with a young Frenchpainter, introducing him and saying, 'This artist will surpass us all' and that artist was ClaudeMonet."

Pissarro heard about all the Monets Durand-Ruel had bought, and not wanting to miss out broughthis work over. The dealer was not in, but Pissaro left his paintings at the gallery.

"Durand-Ruel immediately writes him a letter saying: 'I'm so sorry I missed you. I'm delighted withthe paintings you left. Could you name a price and bring me others?' " says Thompson. "So that ofcourse was the start of what would be the pivotal movement of Durand-Ruel's career, which was themeeting of the impressionists."

Durand-Ruel was unique in that he would buy out an artist's studio right at the outset. He bought 29of Alfred Sisley's paintings in the very first year that he met him. Above, Sisley's 1872 The Bridge atVilleneuve-la-Garenne. The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art

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itoggle caption The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art Durand-Ruel was unique in that he would buy out an artist's studio right at the outset. He bought 29 ofAlfred Sisley's paintings in the very first year that he met him. Above, Sisley's 1872 The Bridge atVilleneuve-la-Garenne.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art

Eventually the dealer went back to Paris. He met Degas, Sisley, Renoir and others, and in a movethat was quite unusual started buying out their studios.

"He buys 29 Pissarros, 29 Sisleys, 10 Degases, two Renoirs all within the first year of meeting theseartists," Thompson says.

Neither Degas nor Cassatt particularly liked the term "impressionism"; to them it impliedcarelessness and haste. They called themselves "independents." Above, Cassatt's 1893 work TheChild's Bath. The Art Institute of Chicago/Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art hide caption

itoggle caption The Art Institute of Chicago/Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art Neither Degasnor Cassatt particularly liked the term "impressionism"; to them it implied carelessness and haste.They called themselves "independents." Above, Cassatt's 1893 work The Child's Bath.

The Art Institute of Chicago/Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art

Buying so much so early was aninnovation, Thompson explains. "Otherdealers would buy 10 works, wait forthem to sell and then come back andbuy more. But he was very innovativein buying large amounts of work. ... Itenabled him to corner the market, andit also was a tremendous show ofsupport for the artist."

But it was also risky business.

"It was quite a big gamble to invest somuch money and much of his potentialresources into artists," saysThompson. "And in the case of theimpressionists, he was investing inartists who were not widelyrecognized ... or liked. [It was] therare collector in 1870s who would buy

an impressionist painting."

It often took 10 to 20 years for Durand-Ruel to sell some of the paintings. Monet's brushy picture ofa misty morning in London's Green Park, Manet's image of a battle between two ships carrying

supplies in the American Civil War, Degas' pale ballerinas there was no ready audience for thoseworks.

In 1876, when he filled three rooms of his galleryat 11 rue Le Peletier with art for the secondimpressionist show, French critics were vicious.In response to a Renoir nude depicted in a sun-dappled setting, critics commented: "Go aheadand try to explain to Renoir a woman's fleshdoesn't look like decomposing flesh it's notcomposed of purple and green splotches."

Over his lifetime, Degas created 1,500 paintings,pastels and drawings of dancers more than anyother artist. Above, his 1872 work, The DanceFoyer at the Opera on the rue Le Peletier. Musee

d'Orsay/Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art hide caption

itoggle caption Musee d'Orsay/Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art

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