Nathan Wildenstein was born in Alsace in 1851, the eldest of seven children. He left Alsace and his family behind after the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. After settling down in Vitry-le-François, Nathan Wildenstein developed an early taste for brokering art sales. In 1881, he married Laure Levy. He then founded the Paris-based Wildenstein & Co., and with help from his wife's family wealth, he built a highly successful business, mostly buying and selling mostly paintings from 18th century French artists. In 1905, he set up a gallery in Rue de la Boëtie in Paris.