His father was a doctor. He became a student at the École Nationale des Chartes and, in 1901, was awarded a diploma as an archivist-paleographer, for his thesis on François de Vendôme.
Upon leaving the school, he took a position in the Cabinet des Estampes [fr] of the Bibliothèque Nationale. In 1904, he was an assistant to his former teacher, Henri Bouchot, for an exhibition at the Pavillon de Marsan.[1] This resulted in his becoming a trainee there.[2] In 1907, he was named a member of the French Art Committee.[3]
He met his future wife, Suzanne, the granddaughter of illustrator Paul Gavarni, at a gallery showing by Henri Rouart.[1]
From 1925 to 1939, he was Chief Curator of the Cabinet, and served two terms as the President of the Association des bibliothécaires de France (1927-1928, and 1931-1933). He was also President of the Société de l'histoire de France, and the Société de l'histoire de l'art français [fr].[4]
In 1945, he was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts, where he took Seat #4 in the "Unattached" section; succeeding the Vicomte de Castelnau. His best known publication is a catalogue raisonné of the works of Edgar Degas, in four volumes (1942-1949).[1]
