Durand-Ruel purchases

 

 

Meta-Impressionism:

Purchases

Durand-Ruel gallery

 

Introduction:
Paul Durand-Ruel was the most important art-dealer for the Impressionists. Probably without his efforts the works of the Impressionists wouldn’t have been known as they are today. For the Impressionists Durand-Ruel was crucial for financial support and for becoming known in France and on the international art-market.
From whom did he purchase art-works? When? How many? Which works? For which price?
On this page his purchases will be divided into two periods. The early purchases in the 1870s and the later purchases 1880 onwards.
We will focus on the purchases from the partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions and related artists.
Note: this page will be developed further more in the future.

 

1870s, early purchases:
Here below you will find some information on the early purchases of Paul Durand-Ruel of pictures of the partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions.

 

1880+, later purchases:
Here below you will find some information on the later purchases of Paul Durand-Ruel of pictures of the partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions.

  • 1880: Durand-Ruel did purchase CR141 (<1881) and CR259 of Monet.
  • 1881: Durand-Ruel did purchase  CR76 (<1881/01/28) of Monet.
  • 1881: Durand-Ruel started buying paintings again from Monet (30x),
    Renoir (since 1881/01; R5,p122),
    Pissarro (1881/02 for 12.000 franc; R5,p122; R2,p390)
    and Sisley (20x).
    He made contracts the complete production of paintings in exchange of advance payments that garanties the livelihood of the Impressionists (R2,p377; R3)
  • 1881: bought the entire content of Boudin his studio and became his main art-dealer (R161,p70;R3;R87)
  • 1881 onwards he also supported Cassatt (R44,p140)
  • 1881/05/18 bought a work of Degas for 5.000 franc (R5,p123)
  • 1882:  Durand-Ruel had new financial problems (R2,p377; R3)
    Still he goes on buying works in 1882 from Monet (40x), Sisley (20x)
  • 1883: purchases from Monet (30x), Sisley (>10x) (R2,p391)
  • 1887/05/05+06: Sale of part of the Durand-Ruel collection at WP Moore in New York with works of with 127 works of many artists, including Boudin (14), Degas (2), Desboutin (5), Forain (1), Lépine (3), Monet (6), Pissarro (6), Renoir (5) and Sisley (6x). (link to PDF at archive.org = aR8=iR19;R166,p46+52,note84).
  • 1888: opening of the New York branche. It started with 70 paintings, including about 12 of Sisley of which 7 were sold in 1888: to Mr. Andrews The Seine at Saint-Mammès; Waterside village (=CR422=CCPP480); Saint-Mammès, morning; to Mr Lambert Saint-Mammès; Les Sablons; At the edge of the wood. (R166,p46+52,note85)
  • 1888: Hermann Kapferer, 27 avenue de l’Opéra placed 30 paintings in consignment with Durand-Ruel in Paris: 2 of Degas, 2 of Monet, 6 of Pissarro, 4 of Renoir and 7 of Sisley. Of these Durand-Ruel bought 5 Sisleys in 1889. (R166,p46+53,note88)
  • 1891: Durand-Ruel bought back impressionist paintings he had deposited as security at his creditors; this included 110 works of Sisley. (R166,p47)

The overview of artists in the Durand-Ruel collection (iR198) renders the following names of partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions. I will also indicate if they were present in inventories, exhibitions and sales and with how many works.
Boudin: ; solo 1883 (150); NY1886 (22); sale 1887 (14); DR1888 (?); London-GG-1905 (?);
Caillebotte: NY1886 (10; note: no loans of Durand-Ruel); DR1888 (6?);
Cassatt:
Cézanne: London-GG-1905 (?);
Degas: RdE-1873 (2); NY1886 (20); sale 1887 (2); London-GG-1905 (2?);
Forain: NY1886 (4); sale 1887 (1);
Gauguin:
Guillaumin: NY1886 (7);
Lépine: ; NY1886 (2); sale 1887 (3); DR1888 (?);
Monet: RdE-1873 (4);  solo 1883 (60); NY1886 (41+8); sale 1887 (6); London-GG-1905 (55?);
Morisot: NY1886 (8); DR1888 (5); London-GG-1905 (?);
Pissarro: RdE-1873 (5);; solo 1883 (70); ; NY1886 (41+1); sale 1887 (6); DR1888 (26); London-GG-1905 (40?);
Redon:
Renoir: ; solo 1883 (70);; NY1886 (35); sale 1887 (5); DR1888 (24);
Sisley: RdE-1873 (3);; solo 1883 (60);; NY1886 (14); sale 1887 (6); DR1888 (25?**); London-GG-1905 (40?);
Vignon:
Zandomeneghi:
Note the overview leaves out the following partakers:
Desboutin: NY1886 (4);
Seurat: NY1886 (15);
Signac: ; NY1886 (6);
Note**: not all works were from the Durand-Ruel collection.

 

Purchases from para-impressionists:
Durand-Ruel also did purchase works from para-impressionists like John-Lewis Brown, Fantin-Latour, Manet and Puvis de Chavannes.
1872/01 he purchased 23 (or 24) paintings of Manet for 35.ooofr, with prices varying from 1.000 till 3.000fr (aR5;R2; R3,p113;R5,p72)
The 1887 sale in New York also give an indication of what artists were part of his stock. I will add their presence in other catalogues. It included:
John Lewis Brown 14x! (no.6 +7 +20 +22 +39 +40 +46 +47 +73 +74 +90 +91 +101 +102); NY1886 (16); DR1888 (?);
Auguste Feyen-Perrin* (no.2 +66)
Armand Gauthier* (no.61)
Victor Gabriel Gilbert* (no.62 +63 +98 +123)
Eva Gonzales* (no.59)
Victor Pierre Huguet (no.12 +23 +24 +44 +45 +75 +76 +95 +110); NY1886 (3);
Only in other catalogues:
Besnard*: NY1886-24;
Fantin-Latour: NY1886-241;
Auguste Flameng*: NY1886 (8);
Fleury (Henry) Chenu*: NY1886 (no.13 +20);
Désirée Langée*: NY1886 (no.11 +51);
Jean Paul Laurens*: NY1886-9;
Henri Lerolle*: NY1886-29;
Manet: NY1886 (15); London-GG-1905 (?);
Frédéric Montenard*: NY1886 (3);
Rolle (=? Alfred Roll)*: NY1886-19;
(Charles) Serret*: NY1886 (10);
Whistler*: DR1888 (?);
Note*: not in the overview of artists in the Durand-Ruel collection (iR198).

 

Purchases from Barbizon painters:
At first the Durand-Ruel Gallery concentrated on works of the Barbizon painters and other landscapists / pre-impressionists. Since 1851 Paul Durand-Ruel worked in the gallery of his father (R3,p659). 1865/06/15 Paul Durand-Ruel took over the gallery at the Rue de la Paix of his departed father and continued supporting the Barbizon school. This result we can see in the Recueil d’estampes of 1873.
This recueil d’estampes renders 300 reproductions of (mostly) paintings. George Michel* (29x), Corot (28x), Dupré* (28x), Jean-François Millet (28x), Delacroix (26x) and Rousseau (21x) were most prominently represented. There were also works of other landscapists: Diaz (10x), Troyon* (10x), Emile van Marcke* (10x), Barye* (4x), Rosa Bonheur* (1x), Daubigny (just 1), Decamps* (3x), Jules Héreau* (4x), de Kniff * (1x), La Rochenoir* (1x); Ziem (2x) and also of other pre-impressionists Bonvin* (2x); Courbet (7x); Ribot* (3x).
In the early 1870s there had been several posthumous auction sales* of the works of the Barbizon painters. Did Durand-Ruel continue to buy their works? Known is that in 1882 Durand-Ruel did sell paintings of the Barbizon painters for low prices (aR1).
The 1887 sale in New York gives an indication of what artists were still part of his stock. It included:
Georges Michel* (no.13 +21 +22 +81 +82)
Note*: not in the overview of artists in the Durand-Ruel collection (iR198).
Note**: Here below you will find some of these sales.

 

Purchases from other artists:
Here below you will find some other artists of whom Durand-Ruel owned some works.
The 1887 sale in New York also give an indication of what artists were part of his stock. I will add their presence in other catalogues. It included:
Mme Laura Theresa Alma Tadema* (no.1)
Georges Bellenger* (no.57 +58 +79)
Louis Emile Benassit* (no.8 +25 +26 +50 +51 +52 +77 +78 +103 +104 +121 +122); NY1886 (no.96);
Narcisse Berchère* (no.11 +80)
Auguste Boulard* (no.3 +69 +70)
Ernest Chérot* (no.14)
Pierre Emmanuel Damoye* (no.111)
Alfred Dehodenq* (no.105)
Henri Louis Dupray* (no.15 +16)
Léopold d’Entraygues* (no.127)
Jules Ferry* (no.118)
Louis Gesa* (no.53 +54)
Pierre de Kuyper* (no.31)
Jacques Emile Lafon* (no.112)
Frédéric Auguste Laguilhermie* (no.109)
Emile Lévy* (no.41)
Gustave Maincent* (no.124)
Emile Vernier* (no.65)
Paul Vernon* (no.55 +56 +68)
Lord Edwin Weeks* (no.27 +83)
Only in other catalogues:
Armand Dumaresq*: NY1886-12;
Mélin*: NY1886 (4);
Note*: not in the overview of artists in the Durand-Ruel collection (iR198).

 

 

Sources:
See at the bottom of the main page on the Durand-Ruel galleries.

 

Recommanded citation: “Meta-Impressionism: Durand-Ruel purchases. Last modified 2026/06/08.  https://www.impressionism.nl/durand-ruel-purchases/”

 

Note: additional info will follow.