Discovering the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel

In a landmark moment for its 130th year, Geelong Gallery, in partnership with Art Exhibitions Australia and ACPA Advising Curating Producing Art, is proud to present Discovering the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel, Art Dealer Among the Artists, the most ambitious international exhibition in the Gallery’s history.

The exhibition flows across five galleries, presenting more than 70 paintings from across two generations of Impressionist artists, the majority from private collections in France and never before seen in Australia. Underpinning it all is the remarkable legacy of Paul Durand-Ruel, the art dealer who staked everything on a movement the establishment refused to accept.

Throughout the Gallery, works by Monet, Renoir, Berthe Morisot, and Camille Pissarro hang in direct dialogue with a second generation of painters long overshadowed by their illustrious predecessors: Albert Andre, Georges d’Espagnat, Gustave Loiseau, Maxime Maufra and Henry Moret. Championed by Durand-Ruel in Impressionism’s twilight years, these artists are now being rediscovered, and Geelong Gallery is thrilled to offer audiences a rare and overdue encounter with their work. Never before toured outside Europe and the United Kingdom, Discovering the Impressionists is the first of its kind to trace their story alongside the man who made it possible.