François Depeaux (13 July 1853 - 11 October 1920) was a French industrialist, art collector and patron. He was one of the defenders of the Rouen School.
Life.
He was born in Bois-Guillaume. He bought a coal mine near Swansea in Wales and developed the coal industry. In 1886 he was one of the founder members of the Société des Amis des Monuments Rouennais.
Between 1880 and 1920 he acquired almost 600 paintings. Following his divorce, part of his collection was split up in 1901 at the hôtel Drouot and in 1906 through a sale due to judicial reasons at the Georges Petit gallery. In 1903 he offered 300 paintings to the Musée des beaux-arts de Rouen. In 1909 the curator accepted a gift of 53 impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.
He died at Mesnil-Esnard and on his death his remaining collection was split up at three public sales. His coal business was inherited by his son Edmond Depeaux, who was denounced by the "Kommandantur" during the German occupation of France in the 1940s, sentenced to death for storing arms and shot on 17 December 1941.
On 20 October 2012 a François-Depeaux wing was opened on the site of the Château du Vracq (one of Depeaux's properties) at La Bouille (Seine-Maritime).
References.
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