Edmond-Honoré Sagot
French, 1857-1917
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Edmond-Honoré Sagot was a bookseller, art dealer, and publisher of prints and original posters. In 1881, he founded the “Ed. Sagot” company in Paris. This establishment still exists under the name “Sagot - Le Garrec” and is one of the oldest art galleries still in operation.
Edmond Sagot was the first contemporary art dealer to specialize in prints and posters. Following his example, several print dealers emerged in the early 1890s: Gustave Pellet, Edouard Kleinmann, A. Arnould, and then Ambroise Vollard, who served as a driving force in the development, sale, and promotion of prints by contemporary artists.
Edmond Sagot opened an art bookshop at 53 rue d'Argout in Paris in 1881, which began to focus on the sale of prints in 1884. The “Ed. Sagot” company then moved to 39 bis rue de Châteaudun. It also sold framing and drawing materials.
Sagot sold drawings, etchings, and lithographs, and in 1891 published the world's first catalog of posters illustrated by modern and contemporary artists. This event was partly responsible for what Ernest Maindron and Octave Uzanne soon called “affichomania.” Sagot was one of the Parisian pioneers and leaders of this new art form. His gallery served as a hub for distribution to the provinces and abroad and became a place of exchange between many art critics and young artists.
Later, he brought his son-in-law, Maurice Le Garrec, into the business. In 1917, Le Garrec took over the gallery under the name “Sagot - Le Garrec, marchand d'estampes” (Sagot - Le Garrec, print dealer) and moved to 18 rue Guénégaud. Today, the Sagot - Le Garrec gallery, still specializing in 19th- and 20th-century prints and drawings, is located at 10 rue de Buci. It is run by Nicolas Romand, the fifth generation of art dealers.
Edmond Sagot is also known for having acquired four copper plates belonging to a series of engravings by Francisco Goya, Les Disparates.
He was the older brother of Parisian art dealer Clovis Sagot, known as “Sagot le jeune.”