Paul Durand-Ruel was an important figure in art history and played a key role in the success of the Impressionist movement. He bought over 5000 Impressionist artworks while key emerging artists were still criticized and their works rejected.
Durand-Ruel sought refuge in London in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. There, he met Claude Monet and admired his works. Monet introduced Camille Pissarro to Durand-Ruel, and through them came Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Alfred Sisley. These artists struggled to sell their works, gain recognition, and exhibit in traditional galleries and salons. Durand-Ruel saw their potential and began to purchase their works.
He bought over 1,500 Renoirs, 1000 Monets, 800 Pissaros, 400 Sisleys, and hundreds of works from Degas, Cassat, and Manet. Although Durand-Ruel almost faced bankruptcy in his purchases, he remained a loyal supporter of the Impressionists. He sold some of their works in England and the United States. This effort opened doors to the Impressionists, and eventually, they gained public acceptance and popularity.
An American art collector, Dr. Albert C. Barnes acquired numerous works from Durand-Ruel after he promoted Impressionism in the United States. For over three decades, Barnes collected some of the most significant French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modern art. In 1922, he created the Barnes Foundation in a Philadelphia mansion to display his collections. Today, fine art from Impressionist painters like Paul Cezanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Vincent Van Gogh, and other contemporary artists hang on its walls.
