Wildenstein & Cie was founded in 1875 in Paris by Nathan Wildenstein (1851-1934), a tailor with a passion for art. The history of the firm began when one of the tailor's customers asked him to sell her a portrait of a former master. Wildenstein agreed and after selling it to her, he decided to devote himself to it. Subsequently, his son, George Wildenstein, followed in his footsteps and joined the business in 1912. In 1933 the name was changed to Wildenstein & Co. After World War II, he moved to New York and converted the facilities into a research center. The firm has had exclusive clients such as Pierpont Morgan, Baron Edmond de Rothschild, Calouste Gulbenkian, John G. Johnson and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, among others.