From 19 September to 5 January, in the Sala Recoletos room, Fundación MAPFRE presents an exhibition on the life and work of Paul Durand-Ruel, pursuing two main goals: to introduce the public to this prominent art dealer and patron who protected and promoted art from his gallery in Paris, as well as from his headquarters in London and New York; and to contextualise and highlight the work of five artists of the post-Impressionist generation, Albert André, Georges D'Espagnat, Gustave Loiseau, Maxime Maufra and Henry Moret.
This exhibition, curated by Claire Durand-Ruel Snollaerts, presents for the first time a significant number of works from private collections that have never been exhibited in public before. In addition, three doors from Joseph Durand-Ruel’s Parisian apartment are being reconstructed, thanks to the exceptional reunion between panels made by Georges D'Espagnat and Albert André.
The exhibition, organised by Fundación MAPFRE in collaboration with ACPA (Advising Curating Producing Art), allows us to discover both the working and personal relationship between Durand-Ruel and his protégés. Likewise, it seeks to give well-deserved recognition to the five artists of the last generation affiliated with the Impressionist movement, who were openly supported by Durand-Ruel: Albert André, Georges D'Espagnat, Gustave Loiseau, Maxime Maufra and Henry Moret.
These artists, some of whom were associated with Impressionism and the style of the Pont-Aven circle, such as Henry Moret, Maxime Maufra and Gustave Loiseau, explored various genres such as landscapes; and Georges D’Espagnat and Albert André favoured genre scenes, portraits and decorative painting closer to the Nabis group. A unique opportunity to appreciate Durand-Ruel’s contribution to the art world and the legacy of these outstanding post-Impressionist artists.
Image credits:
- Albert André - La Tonnelle [The Gazebo], c. 1926 - Oil on canvas - 110 x 160 cm - Musée d’Orsay, Paris. Donated by Count Jean d’Alayer, 1954 - Photo © GrandPalaisRmn (Musée d'Orsay) / Franck Raux - © Albert André, VEGAP, Madrid, 2024
- Georges d’Espagnat - Enfant à la fenêtre, le rosier grimpant [Child in the window, climbing rose bush], c. 1901. Oil on canvas 46 X 60 cm. Private collection. Photo Archives Durand-Ruel © Durand-Ruel & Cie. © Georges D' Espagnat, VEGAP, Madrid, 2024
- Henry Moret - Pêcheurs de crevettes, Larmor-Plage [Shrimp fishers, Larmor-Plage], 1889. Oil on canvas. 61 x 103 cm. Private collection. Photo Archives Durand-Ruel © Durand-Ruel & Cie.
