Paul Durand-Ruel: Discovering Impressionists (Decouvertes)

About this book

A visual history of the birth of Impressionism thanks to art merchant Paul Durand-RuelThe book is published on the occasion of the exhibition Paul Durand-Ruel le pari de limpressionnisme presented at the Muse du Luxembourg Paris October 2014 to February 2015 then at the National Gallery in London ( Inventing Impressionism ) and the Philadelphia Museum of Arts ( Discovering Impressionists )Paul Durand-Ruel a man of strong convictions became an art dealer against his will. He spent his entire life supporting and promoting the painters he loved despite incomprehension from the public and violent opposition from the official art milieus. Through his efforts he earned recognition for the Barbizon painters then the Impressionists narrowly avoiding financial ruin several times. "Without Durand " Claude Monet later said "we would have starved all of the Impressionists. We owe him everything. He was stubborn tenacious he faced bankruptcy twenty times to support us. Critics dragged us through the mud; but for him it was worse! They wrote: These people are mad but there is someone even crazier than they are its the dealer who buys their works."