MISSIONS
Since its creation in 1720, Lefranc Bourgeois' mission has been to make art accessible to all. More than a story of a colour merchant, it is an epic story that started with a friendship, an inspiration, a dream. It's a journey in close collaboration with painters of yesterday and today to offer them ever more vibrant and daring colours. For generations, Lefranc Bourgeois has allowed all artists to reveal their emotions.
A PIONEER IN THE FINE ARTS INDUSTRY
Born in 1720 from the friendship between the apothecary Charles Laclef and the painter Jean-Siméon Chardin, Lefranc Bourgeois has never lost its heritage as a founding brand of the Fine Arts industry.
The choice of the logo, the trademark of Lefranc Bourgeois, is no coincidence: the sea anchor symbolises stability, and the caduceus refers to the attribute of the god Hermes, protector of commerce.
The spirit of exploration and curiosity allowed the brand to establish itself as a precursor during the Impressionist period, thanks to the development of the screw cap which allowed painting in the open air.
Lefranc Bourgeois was also a pioneer in the creation of unique and non-hazardous colours such as titanium white, madder lacquer and cadmium-free yellows and reds.
With this innovative expertise, the brand goes even further as a creator with the iconic Flashe, the world's first vinyl paint.
This know-how from the French tradition, passed on generation after generation, allows Lefranc Bourgeois to offer more and more innovative, inspiring and daring ranges to free the creativity of artists.
ACCOMPANYING ARTISTS
Lefranc Bourgeois has always been keen to work hand in hand with painters. Listening to their ideas and needs, the brand has thus been able to implement numerous collaborations with great artists such as Dufy, Picasso, Matisse, Dubuffet or Vasarely.
Many great painters and artists of the 18th and 19th centuries have used Lefranc Bourgeois colours: Corot, Delacroix, Millet, Courbet, Foujita, Cézanne, Monet and Gauguin...
These collaborations were often at the origin of innovative research, sometimes even involving the artist directly with the chemists in the development of the formulas. This joint work gave rise to new and unique collections, mediums and colours.
The Lefranc Bourgeois archive collection contains, for example, letters of order from Picasso, who was a great user of cobalt blue. Matisse wrote letters of thanks for the creation of a violet in LINEL gouache, which was essential for the creation of his blues and reds.
Right: Portrait of Alexandre Lefranc by the painter Jean-François Millet, 1849
ART FOR ALL
"In every child there is an artist. Pablo Picasso
From generation to generation, Lefranc Bourgeois is committed to passing on the love of painting to budding artists. Who among us has not known the box of gouache with the easily recognisable blue and white logo, slipped into the school bag on the first day of school?
As early as 1867, Lefranc Bourgeois specifically designed non-hazardous paints in the form of gum and syrup-based colour tablets for use in schools.
Then in 1966, it developed a range dedicated to children to offer quality material to budding artists, whatever their age. The paint formulas are standardised, non-toxic and the packaging is made of environmentally friendly recyclable cardboard.
Lefranc Bourgeois children's products focus on education: primary colours for mixing, ergonomic shapes adapted to the smallest hands and playful booklets to accompany artistic creativity, step by step.
Lefranc Bourgeois accompanies young and old alike in their discovery of a creative world full of colours.
FROM CHILDREN TO STUDENTS
Lefranc Bourgeois is a brand that claims that art is accessible to all: universal, timeless and intergenerational. Since 2012, it has been supporting young artists and art students through ENSBA, the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris.
The brand supports workshops in various techniques and media. Lefranc Bourgeois has also given its name to two temporary exhibition galleries, symbolising the brand's commitment to education and transmission.
In 2022, it revived its painting prize, which had been suspended in 1968, thus encouraging young careers.
Lefranc Bourgeois also organises artist residencies. Students are selected to participate in these experimental laboratories. This is the perfect opportunity for the brand's experts to work closely with young up-and-coming artists, serving their talent and creativity.
A SUSTAINABLE COMMITMENT
The brand takes particular care with sustainable development in line with current environmental issues. It is committed to producing sustainable, waste-free paints, reducing plastics and over-packaging.
Building on its heritage of innovation, it is applying new packaging alternatives such as the use of metal for watercolour boxes. The recyclable glass jar is used for all mediums as well as for the iconic Flashe vinyl paint range.
Lefranc Bourgeois has always been innovative in the production of environmentally friendly colours. Indeed, conscious of the world around it, Lefranc Bourgeois proposed as early as 1867 so-called "non-hazardous" colours based on gum arabic. In 1922, it replaced silver white, whose pigments were composed of toxic metal, with titanium white, which had better coverage and luminosity.
It was the very first brand to offer cadmium-free colours in 2017 to provide painters with an eco-responsible and non-toxic alternative to this traditional pigment made from a heavy metal. It is continuing its momentum with the launch of the first cadmium-free gouaches in 2020.
LEFRANC BOURGEOIS IS A B CORP BRAND
Lefranc Bourgeois is proud to announce its B-Corp certification, which recognises its commitment to serving the artistic community through its responsible and sustainable business practices, the well-being of its employees and its positive impact on the environment.
B-Corp certification is a rigorous assessment of a company's social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.
