Inventing impressionism

"One of the most forward-thinking art dealers of all time, Paul Durand-Ruel (1831-1922) played a crucial role in the rise of French Impressionism. This book explores how Durand-Ruel discovered, exhibited, and shaped an audience for Impressionist paintings at a time when they were not yet appreciated. Durand-Ruel first encountered key Impressionist painters in the early 1870s and guided many of their careers for decades. A passionate advocate of the Impressionists, he established personal ties with these artists and developed new markets for them by opening branches of his Paris gallery in…