Goupil

Goupil. Firm of printsellers and art dealers founded in Paris in 1827 by Adolphe Goupil (1806–93). Initially it specialized in selling reproductions, but it expanded to become a leading picture dealer, marketing works by a wide range of contemporary artists. In 1841 a branch was opened in London and in 1846 one in New York (this later became Knoedler's). Later there were branches in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague, and Vienna. Van Gogh's uncle was a partner in the branch in The Hague and at the outset of his career van Gogh himself worked for the firm for several years; it also employed his brother Theo. After Goupil's retirement in 1875 the firm was run by his partner Léon Boussot and Boussot's son-in-law René Valadon, although it continued to be known familiarly as Goupil's for some time after this. Boussot & Valadon continued in business until 1919. It dealt in work by several of the Impressionists, among other artists, and the Glasgow dealer Alex Reid (see Burrell), who helped introduce modern French painting to Scotland, worked for the firm in 1887–9.