LA MAISON DU PASTEL

For nearly three centuries, this family business has been creating pastel shades, a material of choice for painting enthusiasts. The Maison du Pastel, which is the oldest pastel factory in the world, has been awarded the label Entreprise du patrimoine vivant.

History. The history of "La Maison du Pastel" begins with the 18th century, at the time of the great vogue for pastel painting. Founded in 1720, it settled around 1760 in Versailles, then in Paris on rue Saint-Honoré, and settled in 1766 in the Marais, rue Grenier-Saint-Lazare, where it remained until 1912. In the 19th century, this establishment in the name of Macle sold all items for drawing. The manufacture of pastels is part of the house's activity. Around 1865, a pharmacist who loved painting, Henri Roché Sr., took over the establishment and collaborated with an old craftsman in order to make pastel an incomparable painting technique. In 1878, he was at the head of what is now called the Maison du Pastel. Since 1887, he has been offering a collection of around 500 shades. Henri Roché's "à la gerbe" pastels were then sold internationally. In 1906, his son joined him and they moved the Maison du Pastel to the current address, 20 rue Rambuteau. At the death of Henri Roché père, Henri Roché fils relocated the production workshops while keeping a shop in Paris and developed 1,650 pastel shades. He was then in contact with the greatest names in painting (Simon Bussy, Marcel Baschet, Edouard Vuillard...). After ten years of research, he created the "pastelo", a medium that is neither gouache nor oil paint, but that can be spread with a brush. After his death in 1948, his widow, then his daughters, in particular Huberte, took over the House, which found the support of new artists (Serge Poliakoff, Jacques Aubelle, François Barbâtre...). It is a little cousin who takes over in 2000 and relaunches 300 nuances in two years. In 2012, it launched the "Petits Roché", a new range of half-sticks.

The products. A collection of 1,201 pastels available in nine gradient ranges. Each range is composed of pure colours that are graded to white, black, or crossed with another colour.