DURET, Theodore
1838-1927

A man of great gifts, blessed by the fortune of a long life and a family cognac business that enabled him to pursue his interests in art and politics. An encounter with Manet in Madrid in 1865 led to a life-long association with the Impressionists. He was a frequent visitor to the cafe Guerbois and was intimately involved in discussions and suported the Impressionists in his articles. Duret helped Manet in many ways, organized the sale of works from his studio after his death, wrote a biography and catalogued his work. In 1984 he suffered considerable business losses when the grape harvest failed and he was forced to sell a large part of his art collection.