François Joullain

François Joullain (1697–1778) was a French art dealer. His career and that of his son François-Charles Joullain (died 1790) expanded from their roles as printmakers, editors and printsellers to merchants of paintings.^[1]

François Joullain was received a member of the Académie de Saint-Luc, 13 August 1733, as an engraver, and became its director, 19 October 1747.^[2] Before long he abandoned his career as engraver for the more lucrative practice of printseller and dealer in old master drawings, established at the sign of the Ville de Rome, quai de Mégisserie, Paris. He also maintained a modest stock of paintings.^[3]

When his son Charles Joullain married Catherine Louise Leclerc, the daughter of Sébastien Leclerc (1676-1763),^[4] his father transferred to him the portion of his business that dealt with frames. His son later assumed the name François-Charles Joullain and became one of the most important dealers of the second half of the 18th century.^[5]

Joullain printseller, was mentioned in Horace Walpole's correspondence with the marquise du Deffand.^[6]

Notes

1. Michel 2007, p. 81ff.
2. Guiffrey 1915.
3. Extensive biographical details are in Michel 2007, p. 79.
4. For his father, see Sébastien Leclerc (1637–1714).
5. Hellyer 1996.
6. Walpole 1937, p. 346 and note.

Bibliography

• Guiffrey, Jules (1915). Les Artistes parisiens du XVIe et du XVIIe siècles: Donations, contrats de mariage, testaments, inventaires....
• Hellyer, M.-E. (1996). "Joullain, François", vol. 17, pp. 667–668, in The Dictionary of Art, edited by Jane Turner, London: Macmillan.
• Michel, Patrick (2007). Le Commerce du tableau à Paris dans la seconde moitié du XVIIIe siècle.
• Walpole, Horace; Lewis, Wilmarth S., editor (1937). Horace Walpole's Correspondence with Madame du Deffand. Yale Edition of Horace Walpole's correspondence, vol. 6.