Durand-Ruel – The Last Original Frame?
On 22 October 2026, Christie’s will auction important works from the Durand-Ruel family collection in Paris. Paul Durand-Ruel (1831–1922) was one of the most influential supporters of Impressionism.
A closer look at the online catalogue reveals a remarkable detail: Apparently, only one of the paintings offered for sale has retained its original frame. Most of the other works are illustrated in new, simple reproductions of historical frames or in older frames that have been altered to fit the paintings. Some are shown without frames altogether.
The exception is La Seine à l’Estacade by Stanislas Lépine (1835–1892), painted in 1882. Galerie Durand-Ruel acquired the painting directly from the artist on 10 October 1890. It has remained in the family ever since.
Stanislas Lépine, La Seine à l’Estacade, 1882, in what is presumably its original gallery frame.
The narrow gilded frame, with its restrained ornamentation, is characteristic of a type favoured by Durand-Ruel. Inspired by classical Louis XVI designs, such frames became something of a hallmark of his gallery.
Reverse of the painting
The reverse is equally revealing: the triangular wooden corner reinforcements provide evidence of the frame’s historical construction.
A historical photograph of the major Impressionist exhibition organised by Durand-Ruel at the Grafton Galleries in London in 1905 demonstrates how consistently he used this type of frame. On the left wall, Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s celebrated Le Déjeuner des canotiers (1880–1881) can be seen in a similar frame.
Today, the painting is in the Phillips Collection in Washington – but no longer in the frame it had at the time.
Durand-Ruel understood how to make the revolutionary painting of the Impressionists more accessible to a wider audience by presenting it in familiar, historically inspired frames. Far from being merely decorative accessories, these frames formed part of his strategy to make modern art socially acceptable.
All the more regrettable, then, that so few of these historical frames have survived.
Instead, we frequently encounter cheap reproductions of historical frames today – even around paintings worth millions. Surely, works of such importance deserve a more thoughtful approach to their framing.
A discrepancy that is, unfortunately, all too characteristic of the way frames are treated today.
Sources and Further Information
Christie’s, Paris, 22 October 2026
Durand-Ruel, Generations of Vision – Complete auction catalogue
Stanislas Lépine, La Seine à l’Estacade, 1882 – Christie’s lot entry
IMAGE CREDITS
Figs. 1 and 2: Christie’s
Fig. 3: Archives Durand-Ruel