Sotheby’s 4 November 2009 Evening Sale of Impressionist and Modern Art in New York will feature seven paintings from the Durand-Ruel Collection, encompassing works by a number of the Impressionist masters that legendary art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel represented -- Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro and Alfred Sisley. All but one work were acquired by Paul Durand-Ruel directly from the artist and all have remained in the family ever since. Many have not been exhibited since the 1950s and together the offering is estimated to bring $8.9/12.6 million (£5.4/7.7 million, €6.3/8.9 million). Early this fall, highlights will be exhibited in Paris, Hong Kong and London.

Paul Durand-Ruel’s (1831-1922) impact on the history of art and the art market cannot be understated. He revolutionized the relationship between artist and dealer and was responsible for bringing French Impressionism to the world through his galleries in London, New York and Paris. His bold decision to exhibit the Impressionists in New York in 1886 introduced enlightened American wealth to modern French painting. His dossier of American clients included distinguished names such as Havemeyer, Philips, Potter-Palmer and Pope. It was their generosity, together with Durand-Ruel’s vision, that helped to fill great American museum collections with Impressionist masterworks.

Camille Pissarro’s sweeping view of Rouen in Le Pont Boieldieu et la Gare d’Orléans, Rouen, Soleil presents one of France’s most modern cityscapes at the threshold of the twentieth century (est. $2/3 million, £1.2/1.8 million, €1.5/2 million). La Seine à Argenteuil with its tranquil ambiance and focus on the rural, pre-industrial aspects of river life is typical of Alfred Sisley’s finest work (est. $1.5/2 million, £900,000/1.2 million, €1/1.5 million).