Impressionism Without Its Dealer? --- Day 14/122

Walk: Crown Poiont Press

Distance: 5.5 miles

Paul Durand-Ruel

Surely Monet would have developed his impressionist painting style without that fateful trip to London and encounter with Turner's art.   (See CIWT 14/123)  But whether anyone would have known about those  impressionist painting of his or bought them is not the least bit sure without the Parisian art dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel.  

Durand-Ruel was among the Parisians who had taken refuge in London from the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71).  It was there he met or met up with Monet and other French artists in exile and, like them, possibly had his first opportunity to spend time with the great JMW Turner's works.  And there that he made a grand and deeply personal commitment to the loose, brushy, light-filled, emotional art style that later came to be known as Impressionism.

Durand-Ruel strongly encouraged Monet and Pissarro especially to concentrate on perfecting this radical style. Being artists desperate for sales, they and few other artists heeded Durand-Ruel's advice.  In turn, he became their champion. From London on, Durand-Ruel bought up their existing works, paid them advances on future works, choreographed their careers with strategies and on what and where to exhibit and mounted numerous exhibitions in Paris, London and America.

And nearly ruining himself on behalf this personal quest he borrowed heavily to support. Oh, and virtually 'invented' modern art which rests squarely on the shoulders of Impressionism.

Monet and other artists had already begun painting in new ways before London and Durand-Ruel, but without his tireless, skillful support, their revolution would likely have gone nowhere.  Over the years Durand-Ruel bought over 1000 Monets, around 800 Pissarros, about 1500 Renoirs and hundreds of works by Degas, Sisley and Manet.  Thanks to him, the Impressionists were able to make a living.  As Monet said, "without him, we wouldn't have survived."

And for many years, Durand-Ruel barely did.  Nobody wanted the Impressionist paintings.  The French detested them. Even when Durand-Ruel placed them in in elaborate gilt frames and displayed in  his own personal quarters to assure buyers they were acceptable in homes, even offered to buy back the works if buyers became disappointed, he was hardly able to make any sales in Paris.  

It turned out to be the Americans who came to Durand-Ruel's rescue.  Once again at the edge of bankruptcy, he happened to be invited to show there in 1886.  And American buyers loved the Impressionists, buying what are now today's masterpieces in droves, Even coming across the sea to buy in Paris when Durand-Ruel returned.  In his words, "Without America, I would have been lost.  The Americans don't criticise - they buy." 

From then on and still very slowly in France, Impressionism became the wildly popular art form it is today, and, because he had cornered that market, Durand-Ruel became sought after, influential and greatly wealthy. He had transformed Impressionism and, with it, 'modern art'  and the mega-dealers that accompany it.  But, these had not been his goals. Like most impassioned Impressionist buyers, his  spark all along had been a deep love for the art itself (to the point where he couldn't part with his favorites at any price).