Georges Durand-Ruel

Identity:

Georges Durand-Ruel, a Paris art dealer, was part of a French family of dealers. He was the son of Paul Durand-Ruel and Marie-Eva Lafon, the niece of the painter Emil Lafon. He had two brothers, Joseph Durand-Ruel, and Charles Durand-Ruel.

Life:

In the winter of 1871 Whistler began exhibiting his work at Paul Durand-Ruel's New Bond Street gallery in London. Paul Durand-Ruel also held a couple of exhibitions of Whistler's work in his Paris gallery at 11 rue Le Péletier, showing Variations in Flesh Colour and Green: The Balcony y056, Arrangement in Grey: Portrait of the Painter y122 and Views of the Thames y138 in 1873 and Nocturne: Blue and Silver - Bognor y100, Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge y140, Nocturne en bleu et argent y149, Arrangement in Black and Brown: The Fur Jacket y181, A Red Note: Fête on the Sands, Ostend y366 and Dessin m1166 in 1888. A number of other of Whistler's paintings passed through Paul Durand-Ruel's hands including Sketch for 'La Princesse du pays de la porcelaine' y049, Harmony in Blue and Silver: Trouville y064, Study for the Head of Miss Cicely H. Alexander y128, Arrangement in Brown and Black: Portrait of Miss Rosa Corder y203 and Alice Butt (1) y437.

After 1888 Georges Durand-Ruel and his brothers began to take over the running of the family business from their father. They expanded into the American market, buying works by Eugène Delacroix, the Barbizon school and the Old Masters, and later by the Impressionists. In 1898 Whistler arranged with the Durand-Ruels to borrow Edouard Manet's The Execution of Maximilian (1868-69; Städtische Kunsthalle, Mannheim) for the first exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers at the Princes' Skating Club in Knightsbridge. The brothers held exhibitions of the work of Odilon Redon in 1894, Pierre Bonnard in 1896 and Paul Gauguin in 1903. In 1911 Joseph and Georges took over control of the business, specialising particularly in works by the Impressionists.

Bibliography:

Pennell, Elizabeth Robins, and Joseph Pennell, The Life of James McNeill Whistler, 2 vols, London and Philadelphia, 1908 ; Monneret, S., L'Impressionisme et son époque, Paris, 1978-79; Young, Andrew McLaren, Margaret F. MacDonald, Robin Spencer, and Hamish Miles, The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler, New Haven and London, 1980 ; Dorment, Richard and Margaret F. MacDonald, James McNeill Whistler, London, 1994; MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 ; Whiteley, Linda, 'Paul Durand-Ruel', The Grove Dictionary of Art Online, ed. L. Macy, http://www.groveart.com (accessed 25 October 2002).