Resumen de Watteau's dealer: Gersaint and the marketing of art in eighteenth-century Paris
In the course of the eighteenth century dealers became the essential middlemen in a rapidly expanding art market and public auctions emerged as a crucial site of exchange. Edme-Fraņcois Gersaint (1694–1750), immortalized by Watteau's famous shop sign, was among the first to define the business of art dealing and to forge a legitimate space for commerce within the art world. This essay examines Gersaint's career and reputation through an analysis of his various forms of publicity, from shop signs and trade cards to press notices and sales catalogues. Finally, Gersaint's marketing strategies are compared with those of later dealers. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
