Sennelier Extra Soft Pastel Boxes Of 3

In 1887, a huge supporter of the arts named Gustave Sennelier opened his artist’s supply store “Maison Sennelier” directly across from the Louvre in Paris, France. Sennelier was a talented chemist by trade, but through his love of art had a sharply honed eye for value and color. His extensive background researching and studying pigment origins led him to create his own personal pigment mixtures to sell directly to his customers (initially he sold his paints through existing manufacturers). His friendships with prominent artists of the day (whether already famous or yet undiscovered) and his fierce loyalty to them and their craft resulted in creating multiple mediums designed specifically for them.

At the turn of the 20th century, Gustave dedicated three years of development to create an extra soft pastel for his friend and patron, artist Edgar Degas. His goal was to create a stick with the highest amount of pigment possible, adding only the transparent binder of gum arabic (a watercolor binder) and mineral fines to change the gradients of the colors (increasing amounts as the pastel stick lightens towards white). The use of the gum arabic creates a soft pastel that can also be wetted once on the substrate, and spread like a watercolor. With a total of 525 colors and the largest chromatic range offered in soft pastels, their vibrancy and brightness can attributed to not containing clays, like other brands. Pastel artists everywhere revere Sennelier especially for their mellow and deep dark tones compared to other makers, likely due to their higher pigment concentration with little filler.

The cylindrical pastel mold used by Sennelier in the manufacturing process does not compress the pastel paste, instead merely forming the uniform shape (which now features a larger diameter stick than before for added strength, while maintaining the soft nature of the pastel). Sticks are dried naturally in the open air for 4 weeks for a uniform softness throughout the pastel.

Using Sennelier Soft Pastels utilizes a deep and rich history of color, backed up by one of the most dedicated craftsman to color in history. Artists who relied on his and his son Gustave’s expertise and experience achieved fame through their artworks, like Paul Gaugin, Modigliani, Monet, Cezanne, Degas, Picasso, Chagall, Salvador Dali, and so many more. Give yourself the treat designed for the pastel master Degas himself, and choose Sennelier for the finest quality soft pastels available!

• Standard Sticks measure 2 ½” long x ½” diameter