Goupil & Cie is an international auction house and merchant of contemporary art and collectibles. Jean-Baptiste Adophe Goupil founded Goupil & Cie in 1850. Goupil & Cie became a leading

art dealer An art dealer is a person or company that buys and sells works of art, or acts as the intermediary between the buyers and sellers of art. An art dealer in contemporary art typically seeks out various artists to represent, and builds relationshi ...

ship in 19th-century

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, with its headquarters in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. 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 London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and other major art capitals across Continental Europe as well as in

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and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. ''Les'' ''Ateliers 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 Jean-Léon Gérôme (11 May 1824 – 10 January 1904) 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 ran ...

History

Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil

Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Goupil, was born on March 7, 1806 in Paris. He was the son of Auguste Goupil, pharmacist, and Anne Lutton (1774-1849) and ancestor of Hubert Drouais. 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 1845-1848, 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". 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. The business premise was printing and selling prints (engravings and lithographs) in Blvd. Montmartre in Paris. From the outset, the house specialised in the sale of engravings after pictures by Ingres,

Hippolyte Delaroche Hippolyte-Paul Delaroche (17 July 1797 – 4 November 1856) was a French painter who achieved his greater successes painting historical scenes. He became famous in Europe for his melodramatic depictions that often portrayed subjects from English ...

and Léopold Robert. After Rittner's death, Goupil formed a partnership with Théodore Vibert, which was formalized in Paris in 1842. 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. 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. 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. When , the uncle of painter

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2 ...

, known as ''Uncle Cent'' by Vincent and his brother

Theo Theo is a given name and a hypocorism. Greek origin Many names beginning with the root "Theo-" derive from the Ancient Greek word ''theos'' (''θεός''), which means god, for example: *Feminine names: Thea, Theodora, Theodosia, Theophania, ...

, 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

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. In these years, Vincent took up his vocation and began to study art, based on the ''Cours de dessin'', compiled by

Charles Bargue Charles Bargue (c. 1826/1827 – April 6, 1883) was a French painter and lithographer noted for devising an influential drawing course. Life and career He is mostly remembered for his ''Cours de dessin'', one of the most influential classical d ...

"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 Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border. Me ...

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. Galerie Goupil2

Global presence in the 19th and 20th Centuries

* ''Paris'' : 9 Rue Chaptal (Administration, gallery of paintings and storerooms) * ''Paris'' : 19

Boulevard Montmartre Boulevard Montmartre is one of the four grands boulevards of Paris. It was constructed in 1763. Contrary to what its name may suggest, the road is not situated on the hills of Montmartre. It is the easternmost of the grand boulevards. History I ...

: 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. * ''Paris'' : 2

Place de l'Opéra The Place de l'Opéra is a square in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, 9th arrondissement of Paris, at the junction of the Boulevard des Italiens, Boulevard des Capucines, Avenue de l'Opéra, , , Rue de la Paix and . It was built at the same time a ...

: Goupil's main sales room established in 1870 * ''New York'' : 289

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

: Established in 1848. * ''The Hague'' : 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 * ''Brussels'' : 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. * ''London'' : Established by

Ernest Gambart Jean Joseph Ernest Theodore Gambart (12 October 1814 – 12 April 1902) was a Belgian-born English art publisher and dealer who dominated the London art world in the middle of the nineteenth century. Life and career Gambart was born in Kortrijk, ...

. 17

Southampton Street Southampton Street is a street in central London, running north from the Strand to Covent Garden Market. There are restaurants in the street such as Bistro 1 and Wagamama. There are also shops such as The North Face outdoor clothing shop. ...

. Moved to 25

Bedford Street The Bedford Estate is an estate in central London owned by the Russell family, which holds the peerage title of Duke of Bedford. The estate was originally based in Covent Garden, then stretched to include Bloomsbury in 1669.Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...

in 1875 when Goupil & Cie took over Holloway & Sons and their salerooms.Martin Bailey, ''Van Gogh in England'', Barbican Art Gallery, London 1992, p. 11 Goupil's manager in London was at this time Charles Obach. * ''Berlin'' : 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.

References

External links

*
Musée Goupil, Bordeaux

Goupil & Cie and Boussod, Valadon & Co. Records, 1846–1919. Research Library at the Getty Research Institute. Los Angeles, California.

* ttps://github.com/thegetty/provenance-index-csv/tree/master/goupil Goupil Stock Books DatasetA CSV dataset that contains 43,750 records transcribed from the 15 stock books of Goupil & Cie/Boussod, Valadon & Cie in Paris (1846-1919).
Collections Online , British Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goupil and Cie French companies established in 1829 French art dealers 1829 in art