The gallery was founded in 1966 by Daniel Templon in Saint Germain des Prés. It was the first gallery to move near Beaubourg in 1972. The gallery first gained recognition by exhibiting conceptual and minimal artists such as Martin Barré, Christian Boltanski, Donald Judd, Joseph Kosuth, Richard Serra. In the seventies, the gallery was a pioneer of contemporary art and introduced many important artists to the French public: Dan Flavin, Ellsworth Kelly, Willem de Kooning, Frank Stella, Andy Warhol. Galerie Templon soon became one of the references for contemporary art in France.