Over recent decades, studies on van Gogh—on his technique and palette, on the supports of his paintings, on his creative processes, together with the drawing-up of a meticulous biographical chronology and editions of his correspondence—have culminated in an impressive corpus of knowledge. To the point that one wonders whether currently any other artist has been so thoroughly studied and documented. As far as the technical and material aspects of the work are concerned, the remarkable studies of Ella Hendriks, Muriel Geldof and Louis van Tilborgh have proved particularly valuable. These researchers have established a list of the painter’s suppliers in Paris based on marks and labels on supports, together with other sources. They include Dubus, Fermine, Hardy-Alan, Hennequin, Latouche, Hofer frères, Rey et Perrod, Pignel-Dupont, Tanguy, Tasset et Lhote.
Out of these ten stores seven were local for Vincent van Gogh (click here) during the short period from February 1886 to February 1888 when he lived at Theo’s on rue de Laval (now rue Victor-Massé), and then on rue Lepic.
Though the proximity of sources of supply should not be considered as the sole factor affecting the choice of supports and other materials, we can see that it was a decisive criterion in the case of our artist during his stay in Paris.
Apparently, Hofer frères, along with Dubus and Hardy-Alan, is one of three “intruders” among the group of Vincent’s “corner shops.” According to new evidence, however, things may not be quite so simple.
Hofer frères (click here) were the last representative of Belot-Vallé-Bellavoine, a firm dating back to around 1768. Having squatted for more than a century against the apse of the church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, in 1871 the concern crossed the Seine to the rue des Grands-Augustins near the Pont-Neuf. The firm was typical of a number of traditional manufacturers near the Louvre, suppliers by appointment to the members of the Academy and students at the École des Beaux-Arts, and boasting a rather well-to-do clientele. The Impressionist years, however, saw the appearance of new businesses that tracked the shift in the center of gravity of certain artist colonies northwards to quarters such as the Nouvelle Athènes, Batignolles, Saint-Georges and Montmartre.
Hofer frères obviously attempted to adapt to these new consumption patterns and new market geography. Diversifying into the manufacture and sale of photographic equipment, and importing products from England, at the beginning of 1887 the company registered three trademarks for gelatino-bromide plates. It also moved its premises closer to the sphere of activity of this new artistic clientele. Thus it was that it opened a branch at 83, rue Blanche (place Blanche), opposite the end of rue Lepic, where Theo and Vincent van Gogh had moved at the beginning of June 1886, at number 54. This information can be gleaned from advertisements published between 1888 and 1890, as well as from its sole appearance in the Annuaire-Almanach du commerce, de l’industrie (...) (Didot-Bottin) of 1889.
One difficulty remains unresolved: no trace of the opening of the branch on place Blanche before the spring of 1888 has been unearthed, though Hofer frères marks appear on the backs of works dating from 1887 (F266a, F378, F380) and even 1886 (F273), and van Gogh left Paris in February 1888. It is possible that the supports he used came from rue des Grands-Augustins or that canvases made by Hofer frères were sold through various colormen in Paris. It is also possible that the opening of the store on the place Blanche predates 1888—to 1887 or 1886.
We hope to discover documentary evidence of this as soon as the Paris City Archives, currently closed due to the pandemic, become accessible once more.
We will be sure to keep you updated.
