Auguste Pellerin

Auguste Pellerin ( born February 20, 1853 in Paris, † October 18, 1929 in Neuilly -sur -Seine ) was a French entrepreneur and art collector. He was one of the most important collectors of works by Édouard Manet, Paul Cézanne at the beginning of the 20th century.

Life

Auguste Pellerin made ​​his fortune through the manufacture of margarine. His successful companies were factories in France, England, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. From 1906 until his death in 1929, he also served as the Norwegian Consul General in Paris.

At the beginning of his activities as a collector bought Pellerin arts and crafts made ​​of porcelain, earthenware or glass objects. Added to that were paintings by established artists such as Antoine Vollon and Jean Jacques Henner. This was followed by works by Jean -Baptiste Camille Corot and paintings of the Impressionists. Here the focus was on Édouard Manet, many of the major works Pellerin had. In 1898 Pellerin at Ambroise Vollard his first work of Paul Cézanne. Over the years he contributed a substantial collection with more than 90 works by this artist together. Cézanne was among the artists who personally met the collector, one of which formed about 1899 Painting Sketch with portrait Pellerin testifies. From Henri Matisse comes another portrait Pellerin. 1917, resulting paintings Auguste Pellerin II, 1916, oil on canvas, 150.2 x 96.2 cm, now belongs to the collection of the Musée National d' Art Moderne at the Centre Georges Pompidou. In addition, Pellerin was friends with Auguste Rodin, who visited him on Pellerin's country estate in Neuilly -sur -Seine, just as the German -language poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who worked in 1905 as secretary to Rodin.

Caused a sensation in the sale of his collection of thirty-five paintings by Édouard Manet 2 February 1910, a consortium consisting of the French art dealers Bernheim- Jeune, Durand- Ruel and the German Paul Cassirer for 1,000,000 francs, one-third of the estimated price. Many of these images came from Heinrich Thannhauser at the Moderne Galerie in Munich the exhibition, went to German collectors and passed into German museums later. Although Pellerin had already sold part of his art collection again during his lifetime, was inherited by his son Jean -Victor Pellerin and his daughter, Mme Réne Lecomte, an extensive collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures. 1982, leaving the heirs fourteen major works by Paul Cézanne the French national museums.

Works in the collection Pellerin (selection)

Pierre- Auguste Renoir: Portrait de Rapha Maitre II, Today: Private Collection

Vincent van Gogh: Irises, Today: J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Paul Cézanne: Bather, Today: National Gallery, London