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The first painting you see is a portrait of a man. He\u2019s wearing a dark jacket and leaning back, his hand resting on his chest. This isn\u2019t a posture of relaxation. He\u2019s looking out of frame and his eyes seem as though they\u2019re not seeing what\u2019s in front of them; it\u2019s the look of a man who is thinking deeply, broadly, continuously.<\/p>\n
This is Paul Durand-Ruel, painted by Pierre-Auguste Renoir \u2013 and without Durand-Ruel, there\u2019s a high chance that many of the paintings displayed in the exhibition that sprawls out behind his portrait may never have been created.<\/p>\n
![\"Claire](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/33f78841895b761802abc583076f556d8c6aa048.jpeg\")
Claire Durand-Ruel pictured with a portrait of Paul Durand-Ruel by Auguste RenoirRuby Alexander<\/p>\n
Discovering the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel is a new exhibition at Geelong Gallery bringing together more than 70 paintings by both the big names of the impressionist movement, and a forgotten generation of artists who have mostly slipped under the radar. Some of the works will be familiar but most are not, with a large percentage of the paintings sourced from private collections. About a third of the works have not been seen in public for more than a hundred years<\/p>\n
Co-curated by Marianne Mathieu and Durand-Ruel\u2019s great-great-granddaughter Claire Durand-Ruel, the exhibition not only tells the story of impressionism and the man who fought for it, but also shines a light on the movement\u2019s impact over generations of artists.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to forget that there was a period of time when Monet, Renoir and Pissarro were the rejects of the art world. Their works \u2013 now held in galleries across the world, and sold for many millions at auction \u2013 were then dismissed, sneered at and held in low esteem. Even the term \u201cimpressionism\u201d, which later came to define the movement they pioneered, was meant derogatorily \u2013 their work was thought of as lazy and amateurish. But not by Paul Durand-Ruel, who championed the impressionists passionately, even when it nearly sent him bankrupt. Twice.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis man was completely in love with art,\u201d says Claire Durand-Ruel. \u201cEven if he didn\u2019t have the money, he just couldn\u2019t help himself … he was a gambler. When he championed an artist, he was totally devoted and obsessed by the artist and supported him. Even if he didn\u2019t have the income to support him, he would continue and do his best to find money to still buy and support.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d1fb60cf1ff41270540061c730ff21ae196a5e8a.jpeg\")
A pair of doors commissioned featuring the work of Albert Andr\u00e9Ruby Alexander<\/p>\n
Durand-Ruel\u2019s support of artists was comprehensive. He not only bought works, but also paid artists a monthly salary so they didn\u2019t have to think about paying their bills, allowing them to completely devote themselves to their work. \u201cThere are thousands and thousands of letters between the dealer and the artist saying, just really quick notes, \u2018Dear Mr Durand, can you send me 500 francs to pay for my groceries?\u2019\u201d Claire Durand-Ruel says.<\/p>\n
The exhibition unfolds across a series of brightly painted rooms. In the first section, painted in green, some of the biggest names in the exhibition are placed side by side. Mathieu explains that the idea is that it is difficult to differentiate who painted what. \u201cIt seems to be the same, so it is the visual explanation that there is a link between them,\u201d Mathieu says.<\/p>\n
As you head further into the exhibition, that\u2019s where familiarity begins to slip away. There\u2019s a work by Renoir that deviates strongly from what we expect of the artist, and there\u2019s a pairing of works by Berthe Morisot and her husband, Eug\u00e8ne Manet (brother of \u00c9douard), which sees both depict the same scene in their own way. The middle section is dedicated to the work of Albert Andr\u00e9 and Georges d\u2019Espagnat, artists that Mathieu describes as the second generation of impressionists.<\/p>\n
![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f50d769f2c485375788e1cd3342194dc278dc3bd.jpeg\")
Woman and Peacocks by Albert Andr\u00e9 on display at Geelong GalleryRuby Alexander<\/p>\n
One of the most striking elements is a collection of three sets of interior doors, stretching high up into the ceiling. Each door features a series of seven painted panels \u2013 two doors feature the work of d\u2019Espagnat, while the other is the work of Andr\u00e9. Putting the doors back together was a particular challenge \u2013 across the years the panels were removed and sold separately. Reconstituting them meant tracking down each one. \u201cWe wrote, and we met the owner[s], and we said, \u2018This is a part of a door \u2013 and we would like to reconstitute [it],\u2019\u201d says Mathieu.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan\u2019t say I\u2019ve ever heard of that one,\u201d says a woman behind me as we both look at d\u2019Espagnat\u2019s In the garden c1913. It\u2019s a scene that is both bright and somehow hazy like recent memory: a woman in blue looks directly at the viewer while a child sits nearby reading a book. Nearby a series of works by Andr\u00e9 depict quiet scenes of women getting ready for the day. They\u2019re intimate and vibrant.<\/p>\n
The big names in this exhibition might be what first pull the crowds in, but it\u2019s the quiet stories and the artists who have been just to the right of the limelight that most stay with you.<\/p>\n
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