Durand-Ruel not only had the idea of displaying the pictures exhibited in his gallery at eye level, but also paid his protégés a monthly stipend so that they could concentrate fully on their art. He had witnessed this altruistic behavior while growing up in his parents' store, as Mr. and Mrs. Durand-Ruel were often paid by the artists with artworks instead of francs.
After opening his gallery in 1859, Durand-Ruel exhibited works of the Barbizon School, which were joined by those of the Impressionists in the 1870s. However, with Impressionism widely rejected at the time, paintings sold poorly, and by 1884, Paul Durand-Ruel was nearly broke. It was the American impressionist Mary Cassatt who came to his aid by using her contacts in her native country, charming members of the upper class to this new art form from France.