Goupil & Cie

Last updated
Galerie Goupil, place de l'Opera Paris. Galerie Goupil.jpg
Galerie Goupil, place de l'Opéra Paris.

Goupil & Cie is an international auction house and merchant of contemporary art and collectibles. Jean-Baptiste Adophe Goupil founded Goupil & Cie in 1850. [1] Goupil & Cie became a leading art dealership in 19th-century France, with its headquarters in Paris. Step by step, Goupil established a worldwide trade in fine art reproductions of paintings and sculptures, with a network of branches and agents in London and other major art capitals across Continental Europe as well as in New York City and Australia. LesAteliers Photographiques, their workshop north of Paris, in Asnières, was instrumental in their expansion from 1869. The leading figure of Goupil & Cie was Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil (1806–1893). His daughter Marie married the French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme.

Contents

History

Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil

Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil (1806-1893) Adolphe Goupil.jpg
Jean-BaptisteAdolphe Goupil (1806–1893)

Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil, was born on March 7, 1806 [2] in Paris. He was the son of Auguste Goupil, pharmacist, and Anne Lutton (1774–1849) and ancestor of Hubert Drouais. [2] He became a leader of the art and publishing industry and one of the most important art dealers and publishers of the 19th century. From 1827, Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil engaged in the business of printing and publishing original prints and interpretation in several countries, most importantly in France, England and Germany. He married Victoire Brincard (1808–1886), originally from Belfort, in August 1829, and had five children: Léon, Amélie, Albert, Marie and Blanche. After the disappearance of his first partner, Henry Rittner in 1840, Goupil found a new partner Théodore Vibert (1816–1850) the following year in 1841. Between 1845 and 1848, Goupil and Vibert opened a branch in London and then in New York at 289 Broadway. Vibert died in 1850, leaving several children that Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil took care of. In addition to a printer-publisher, Goupil also became a dealer in paintings and drawings. Goupil signed a contract in 1845 with the painter Charles Landelle, who undertook not to dispose of his reproduction rights before having offered it to Maison Goupil. Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil founded the international company Goupil & Cie in 1850, which in a few decades became one of the greatest art dealers of the 19th century. Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil was elected mayor of Saint-Martin-aux-Chartrains (Calvados) from 1875 to 1893 where he owned the "castle of the whole city".[ citation needed ] He was appointed officer of the Legion of Honor in 1877. Having already lost his eldest son in 1855, Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil decided to gradually retire from business from 1884, when his second son Albert died. Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil died on May 9, 1893, in Saint-Martin-aux-Chartrains.

Origins

The seascape painter, Charles Louis Mozin, introduced Rittner to the young Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil, who descended from a celebrated family of painters, the Drouais. Together, they created the maison Goupil in 1829. [2] The business premise was printing and selling prints (engravings and lithographs) in Blvd. Montmartre in Paris. [2] From the outset, the house specialised in the sale of engravings after pictures by Ingres, Hippolyte Delaroche and Léopold Robert. After Rittner's death, Goupil formed a partnership with Théodore Vibert, which was formalized in Paris in 1842. [3] In a ground-breaking move, the firm opened in New York in 1848 as Goupil, Vibert et cie. William Schaus became the first director of the New York branch, but was replaced by Adolphe Goupil's son, Léon, and then in 1855 by Michel Knoedler, who eventually bought out Goupil's interest in 1857. [4]

Adolphe Goupil formed Goupil & Cie in 1850. Over the next 34 years the partners were Adolphe Goupil 1850–84, Alfred Mainguet 1850–56, Léon Goupil 1854–55, Léon Boussod 1856–84, Vincent van Gogh 1861–72, Albert Goupil 1872–84, René Valadon 1878–84. Until 1861 the firm concentrated on buying, selling and editing prints. To feed an emerging middle-class market with inexpensive art, Goupil's workshop outside Paris employed skilled craftsmen to produce engraved, etched, photographic and even sculptural copies of paintings in vast quantities. Goupil's reproductions made Jean-Léon Gérôme, in particular, a well known artist. [5] Maison Goupil also promoted via their print reproductions, a significant number of works by Italian painters who worked for the publishing house during the 1870s, including paintings by Alberto Pasini and Francesco Paolo Michetti among others. [6] When Vincent van Gogh (1820–1888)  [ nl ], [7] the uncle of painter Vincent van Gogh, known as Uncle Cent by Vincent and his brother Theo, entered the firm, the business expanded to paintings and drawings, finally in 1872 to industrial images, including photographic and héliographic procedures.

Uncle Cent moved to Paris in 1858 and took residence at 9 Rue Chaptal, which housed Goupil's headquarters, too. In 1861, he became partner of Goupil & Cie. As Uncle Cent had no children, his nephews were evidently supposed to follow him up in the firm: Vincent entered in 1869, Theo in 1873. When Vincent was sacked by Léon Boussod in 1876, the balance between the shareholders suffered – and so Theo got his chance. Called to the Paris office for the time of the World Fair 1878, he was offered to stay in Paris. Between 1881 and 1890, Theo was manager of Goupil & Cie's branch on Boulevard Montmartre, from which he sold about 1,000 paintings, including works by members of the Barbizon School like Corot and Daubigny. [8]

In these years, Vincent took up his vocation and began to study art, based on the Cours de dessin, compiled by Charles Bargue "in collaboration with J.-L. Gérôme" and edited by Goupil & Cie, 1868–1873. In 1880, he asked his former director Herman Gijsbert Tersteeg, at Goupil's in The Hague, to lend him a copy, which he finally received with the support of his brother Theo.

Vincent van Gogh fell ill and retired in 1872 due to his degrading health, to settle in Princenhage for the summers and in Menton for the winters, but remained a partner until 1878. His duties were taken over by René Valadon. From then on, the firm was completely in the hands of the Goupil family and their sons-in-law Léon Boussod and René Valadon. Adolphe Goupil (1840–1884) joined his father in 1877. In 1867 Albert had taken over the business oo Vincent van Gogh (uncle Cent). Both families have been associates to manage the Dutch branch. Vincent and Théodore van Gogh were also employed in London and Paris.

Goupil & Cie, rue Chaptal (c.1860). Galerie Goupil2.jpg
Goupil & Cie, rue Chaptal (c.1860).

Global presence in the 19th and 20th centuries

9 Rue Chaptal (Administration, gallery of paintings and storerooms)
19 Boulevard Montmartre
It was in Boulevard Montmartre (originally nos 12 and 15) that Adolphe Goupil first went into business. No. 19 became a simple sales room when the administration was moved to Rue Chaptal. From 1881 this branch was run by Theo van Gogh.
2 Place de l'Opéra
Goupil's main sales room established in 1870
289 Broadway
Established in 1848.
Plaats 14, since 1861 and moved in 1880 to Plaats 20
Established in the 1830s by Vincent van Gogh on Spuistraat, the gallery was transferred to Plaats 14, in 1861, when combined with Goupil
58 Rue Montagne de la Cour / Hofberg 58
Established in 1865 by H. W. van Gogh; after his retirement this branch was run by V. Schmidt.
Established by Ernest Gambart. 17 Southampton Street. Moved to 25 Bedford Street, Strand in 1875 when Goupil & Cie took over Holloway & Sons and their salerooms. [9] Goupil's manager in London was at this time Charles Obach.
Charlottenstrasse 63

Goupil & Cie in the 21st Century

Today, Goupil & Cie specializes in modern and contemporary art as well as luxury and exceptional products. Sales and auctions are mainly organized online.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec</span> French painter and illustrator (1864–1901)

Comte Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa, known as Toulouse Lautrec, was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist, and illustrator whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in the late 19th century allowed him to produce a collection of enticing, elegant, and provocative images of the sometimes decadent affairs of those times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice Utrillo</span> French painter (1883–1955)

Maurice Utrillo, born Maurice Valadon; 26 December 1883 – 5 November 1955), was a French painter of the School of Paris who specialized in cityscapes. From the Montmartre quarter of Paris, France, Utrillo is one of the few famous painters of Montmartre to have been born there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Léon Gérôme</span> French painter and sculptor (1824–1904)

Jean-Léon Gérôme was a French painter and sculptor in the style now known as academicism. His paintings were so widely reproduced that he was "arguably the world's most famous living artist by 1880." The range of his oeuvre included historical painting, Greek mythology, Orientalism, portraits, and other subjects, bringing the academic painting tradition to an artistic climax. He is considered one of the most important painters from this academic period. He was also a teacher with a long list of students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theo van Gogh (art dealer)</span> Dutch art dealer (1857–1891)

Theodorus van Gogh was a Dutch art dealer, the younger brother of Vincent van Gogh. Theo's unfailing financial and emotional support allowed his brother to devote himself entirely to painting. Theo died at the age of 33, six months after his brother died at the age of 37. At his death Theo owned practically all of his brother's artwork. Theo's widow Jo van Gogh-Bonger worked tirelessly to promote the work of Vincent and keep the memory of her husband alive. Theo made a significant impact on the art world as an art dealer, playing a crucial role in the introduction of contemporary Dutch and French art to the public. His widow was able to draw on the connections that Theo made to promote Vincent's work. In 1914, she reburied Theo's remains next to Vincent's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent van Gogh chronology</span>

This is a chronology of the artist Vincent van Gogh. It is based as far as possible on Van Gogh's correspondence. However, it has only been possible to construct the chronology by drawing on additional sources. Most of his letters are not dated and it was only in 1973 that a sufficient dating was established by Jan Hulsker, subsequently revised by Ronald Pickvance and marginally corrected by others. Many other relevant dates in the chronology derive from the biographies of his brother Theo, his uncle and godfather Cent, his friends Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin, and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Bargue</span> French painter

Charles Bargue was a French painter and lithographer noted for devising an influential drawing course.

<i>Vincent & Theo</i> 1990 biographical drama film about Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent & Theo is a 1990 biographical drama film about the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) and his brother Theo (1857–1891), an art dealer. While Vincent van Gogh's artworks are now famous, he was essentially unrecognized in his lifetime, and survived on his brother's charity. The film was directed by Robert Altman, and starred Tim Roth and Paul Rhys in the title roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Bacon (painter)</span> American painter

Henry Bacon was an American painter, author, illustrator, and translator. Before his formal training as an artist, he served as a soldier and war artist during the American Civil War, and was badly wounded in the Second Battle of Bull Run. He then studied in France, and became a member of the Pont-Aven School, painting genre subjects of French country life, many sold back in America. He first traveled to Egypt in 1897, and then developed an interest in Orientalist painting, soon spending his winters in the Middle East, dying in Cairo.

<i>Le Moulin de la Galette</i> (Van Gogh series) Painting series by Vincent van Gogh

Le Moulin de la Galette is the title of several paintings made by Vincent van Gogh in 1886 of a windmill, the Moulin de la Galette, which was near Van Gogh and his brother Theo's apartment in Montmartre. The owners of the windmill maximized the view on the butte overlooking Paris, creating a terrace for viewing and a dance hall for entertainment.

<i>Farmhouse in Provence</i> Painting by Vincent van Gogh

Farmhouse in Provence, also known as Entrance Gate to a Farm with Haystacks, is an oil-on-canvas painting produced in 1888 by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh in Arles, Provence, at the height of his career. Partially due to having been inspired by painter Adolphe Monticelli, Van Gogh sought the Provence region of France to further expand his painting skill and experience. Van Gogh used several pairs of complementary colors in the Farmhouse in Provence, the color contrast bringing an intensity to his work. The painting is owned by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

<i>Montmartre</i> (Van Gogh series) Painting series by Vincent van Gogh

The Montmartre paintings are a group of works that Vincent van Gogh created in 1886 and 1887 of the Paris district of Montmartre while living there, at 54 Rue Lepic, with his brother Theo. Rather than capture urban settings in Paris, van Gogh preferred pastoral scenes, such as Montmartre and Asnières in the northwest suburbs. Of the two years in Paris, the work from 1886 often has the dark, somber tones of his early works from the Netherlands and Brussels. By the spring of 1887, van Gogh embraced use of color and light and created his own brushstroke techniques based upon Impressionism and Pointillism. The works in the series provide examples of his work during that period of time and the progression he made as an artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Early works of Vincent van Gogh</span>

The earliest known works of Vincent van Gogh comprise a group of paintings and drawings that Vincent van Gogh made when he was 27 and 28, in 1881 and 1882. Over the course of the two-year period Van Gogh lived in several places. He left Brussels, where he had studied for about a year in 1881, to return to his parents’ home in Etten, where he made studies of some of the residents of the town. In January 1882 Van Gogh went to The Hague where he studied with his cousin-in-law Anton Mauve and set up a studio, funded by Mauve. During the ten years of Van Gogh's artistic career from 1881 to 1890 Vincent's brother Theo would be a continuing source of inspiration and financial support; his first financial support began in 1880 funding Vincent while he lived in Brussels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agostina Segatori</span>

Agostina Segatori was a famous model who posed for celebrated painters in Paris, France, such as Édouard Joseph Dantan, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Eugène Delacroix, Vincent van Gogh and Édouard Manet. She is also known for running the Café du Tambourin in Paris.

Sayonara Sorcier is a Japanese historical slice of life josei manga series written and illustrated by Hozumi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Flowers manga magazine and was compiled in 2 volumes published in 2013. It will be published in French by Glénat.

<i>Cleopatra and Caesar</i> (painting) Painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme

Cleopatra and Caesar, also known as Cleopatra Before Caesar, is an oil on canvas painting by the French Academic artist Jean-Léon Gérôme, completed in 1866. The work was originally commissioned by the French courtesan La Païva, but she was unhappy with the finished painting and returned it to Gérôme. It was exhibited at the Salon of 1866 and the Royal Academy of Arts in 1871.

<i>Soyez amoureuses vous serez heureuses</i>

Soyez amoureuses vous serez heureuses is a bas-relief wood panel carved and polychromed by French artist Paul Gauguin in the autumn of 1889. Gauguin depicts himself in the upper right, sucking his thumb and grasping the hand of the fleshy nude woman, a Polynesian or African, who seems to recoil in fear.

<i>Pygmalion and Galatea</i> (Gérôme painting) 1890 painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme

Pygmalion and Galatea is an 1890 painting by the French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme. The motif is taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses and depicts the sculptor Pygmalion kissing his statue Galatea at the moment the goddess Aphrodite brings her to life.

Paul-Léon Jazet was a French painter born in Paris, the son of the engraver Alexandre-Jean-Louis Jazet. For much of his career, he was mostly known for genre scenes, portraits and military subjects.

Arnold Hendrik Koning (1860-1945) was a Dutch painter. He painted in the style of the Hague School.

References

  1. "Goupil & Cie, b. 1829". National Portrait Gallery people. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lafont-Couturier, Hélène (1996). "La maison Goupil ou la notion d'oeuvre originale remise en question". Revue de l'Art. 112 (1): 59–69. doi:10.3406/rvart.1996.348269.
  3. Linda Whiteley, 'Art et commerce d'art en France avant l'époque impressionniste', Romantisme, 40, 1983, pp. 73–74.
  4. Penot, Agnès (January 8, 2017). "The Perils and Perks of Trading Art Overseas: Goupil's New York Branch". Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide. 16 (1). doi: 10.29411/ncaw.2017.16.1.4 . S2CID   188797433 via www.19thc-artworldwide.org.
  5. Ken Johnson, (April 20, 2001), A Return to the Junction Of Art and Commerce New York Times .
  6. Rosalba Dinoia, ' The Maison Goupil and the Triumph of Italian Painters', Print Quarterly, XXXI, 2014, 2, pp.195–198.
  7. http://www.vggallery.com/photos/cent.htm
  8. Judith H. Dobrzynski, (June 13, 1999), ART REVIEW; A Return to the Junction Of Art and Commerce New York Times .
  9. Martin Bailey, Van Gogh in England, Barbican Art Gallery, London 1992, p. 11

Further reading