Paul Durand-Ruel was a French art dealer associated with the Impressionists and the Barbizon School.
16 Facts About Paul Durand-Ruel
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An ambitious entrepreneur, Durand-Ruel cultivated international interest in French artists by establishing art galleries and exhibitions in London, New York, Berlin, Brussels, among other places.
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In 1851, Paul Durand-Ruel enrolled at the military school Ecole Militaire de Saint-Cyr but was forced to leave shortly after due to health reasons.
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Paul Durand-Ruel married Jeanne Marie Eva Lafon in 1862; the couple's first child was born shortly thereafter.
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In 1865, Paul Durand-Ruel took over the family business which represented artists such as Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and the members of the Barbizon school of French landscape painting.
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Paul Durand-Ruel had three sons who worked with him in the business, Joseph Durand-Ruel, Charles Durand-Ruel, and Georges Durand-Ruel.
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Paul Durand-Ruel played an active role in the collection of these painters' art in the 1860s and 70s.
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Paul Durand-Ruel recognized the artistic and fashionable potential of Impressionism as early as 1870, and his first major exhibition of their work took place at his London gallery in 1872.
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Paul Durand-Ruel succeeded in establishing the market for Impressionism in the United States as well as in Europe.
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Paul Durand-Ruel represented many lesser known artists including Maxime Dethomas or Hugues Merle amongst others.
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Paul Durand-Ruel established a network of galleries and exhibitions in many countries, with hubs in London, New York, and Berlin.
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In London, Paul Durand-Ruel pioneered many new strategies for exhibiting art such as providing a catalogue for each exhibition, charging an entrance fee, and strategically placing unknown works next to high-priced art to increase its value.
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Paul Durand-Ruel hosted London's first exclusively Impressionist exhibitions in 1882 and 1883.
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In 1905, Paul Durand-Ruel returned to London to showcase a massive exhibition of Impressionist paintings originating mostly from his private collection.
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Paul Durand-Ruel opened his first permanent gallery in the United States in 1887.
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Paul Durand-Ruel was the subject of a major temporary exhibition titled "Inventing Impressionism" held at the National Gallery in London in 2015.