François-Charles Joullain

Who was François-Charles Joullain?

François Joullain and François-Charles Joullain fils were French art dealers, father and son, whose careers as merchants of paintings expanded from their roles as printmakers, editors and printsellers. The elder Joullain was received a member of the Académie de Saint-Luc, 13 August 1733, as an engraver, and became its director, 19 October 1747. 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.

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

Joullain fils, who assumed the practice in which he had long been closely associated, was reckoned one of the outstanding experts in the art market of his day. He was one of the experts called in to catalogue the works of art of Abel-François Poisson, marquis de Marigny, the brother of Mme de Pompadour and one of the most enlightened patrons of the day.