The document analyzes how changing social structures in late 19th century France influenced the patronage of Impressionist art. New patronage groups emerged, like third generation European Jews who developed a stronger group identity during the Dreyfus Affair, and Americans seeking social aspirations beyond emulating an aristocracy. Tables and graphs show data on the distribution of patrons and transactions involving Impressionist paintings sold by Durand-Ruel, the major art dealer, between 1890-1912. The data finds that French patrons made up the largest group at 36%, while Jewish patrons increased dramatically to 25% of patrons and 26% of transactions.

1. Barbara R Walters
bwalters@kbcc.cuny.edu
Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association
San Francisco, CA
August 2004

2. The Politics of Aesthetic Judgment examines
Impressionism in the context of the changing
worldview and institutional structures for art
in fin-de-siècle France. These changes are
empirically connected to new patronage
groups for art, especially third generation
European Jews for whom group identity
became salient during the Dreyfus Affair, and
Americans, whose social aspirations resisted
emulation of an earlier aristocracy.

3.  entry number
 name of artist
 date purchased by Durand-Ruel
 price paid
 dimensions of the canvas
 painting identification number
 specification of the work as either oil, charcoal, water color,
lithograph, or pen and ink
 name of person selling painting to Durand-Ruel
 the retail price requested by Durand-Ruel
 name of person to whom the painting was sold
 the date sold by Durand-Ruel
 the actual price paid to Durand-Ruel at the time of sale

4.  French: any purchaser whose name was French in origin, and for whom no other
category was believed to apply.
 Titled Nobility: any purchaser whose name was French in origin, not Jewish, and
titled, e.g. Count Camando would be classified as Jewish.
 Artist: any purchaser whose name is generally associated with his or her
contribution to the arts as a writer, painter, performer, composer.
 Jewish: any purchaser whose name was identified as European Jewish.
 U.S.: any purchaser whose name was American, and who purchased a painting
from the gallery in Paris, France. All paintings shipped to Durand-Ruel’s branch
gallery in New York were also placed in this category
 Museum: any museum.
 Unknown: names not identified as any of the above.

5. FIGURE 1A
TABLE 1A Distribution of Patrons: 1890-1912
Distribution of Patrons: 1890-
1912
Patrons % N
French (Non-Jewish) 36 (173) Unknown
13%
Titled Nobility 2 ( 10) Museum
3%
Artist 3 ( 12)
French (Non-
Other European
Jewish 25 (115) Jewish)
2%
36%
US 16 ( 74) US
16%
Other European 2 ( 11)
Museum 3 ( 12)
Titled Nobility
Unknown 13 ( 59) 2%
Jewish Artist
Total 100 (466) 25% 3%

6. TABLE 1B FIGURE 1B
Distribution of Transactions: 1890-1912
Distritution of Transactions: 1890-1912
Patrons % N
Unknown
French (Non-Jewish) 26 (367)
6%
Titled Nobility 1 ( 14) Museum
2%
French (Non-
Other European Jewish)
Artist 1 ( 14) 2% 26%
Jewish 26 (371)
US 36 (511)
Titled Nobility
US 1%
Other European 2 ( 23)
36%
Artist
Museum 2 ( 24) 1%
Unknown 6 ( 89)
Jewish
Total 100 (1413) 26%

7. # of French Transactions
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
Year
GRAPH 1
1902
1905
Transactions by Year: French
1907
1909
1911

8. # of US Transactions
20
40
60
80
0
100
120
140
160
180
1890
1892
1894
1896
1899
1900
Year
GRAPH 2
1902
1905
Transactions by Year: US
1907
1909
1911

9. # of Jewish Transactions
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
Year
GRAPH 3
1902
1905
Transactions by Year: Jewish
1907
1909
1911

10. # of Transactions
0
100
150
200
250
50
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
GRAPH 4
Year
1902
1905
Transactions by Year: All
1907
1909
1911

11. FIGURE 2
1890- 1895- 1900- 1905- 1910- Distribution by Purchasers:
1894 1899 1904 1909 1914 More than Fifteen Transactions
Purchaser Total
Museum 4% 2% 2% 8% 3% 3% M useum
( 12) ( 6) ( 6) ( 5) ( 2) ( 31) 3%
French 41% 11% 7% 34% 0% 19%
(113) ( 38) ( 19) ( 20) ( 0) (190) Jewish
30%
Jewish 5% 22% 61% 42% 49% 30%
( 14) ( 74) (156) ( 25) ( 33) (302) US
48%
US 50% 65% 29% 15% 48% 48%
(140) (216) ( 75) ( 9) ( 32) (472)
Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
(279) (334) (256) ( 59) ( 67) (995)
French
19%

12. FIGURE 3
Patrons of Salon Art: 1841-1899
Patrons of Salon Art: 1841-1899
Patrons % N
French (Non-Jewish) 62 ( 5)
Unknown
Titled Nobility 14 ( 0) 16%
Other European
Jewish 3 ( 8)
5%
US 0 ( 0) US
0%
Other European 5 ( 1)
Jewish
Unknown 16 ( 7) 3%
Totals 100 ( 23)
Titled Nobility -French (Non
14% (Jewish
62%