As I've been preparing some of my original pastels, for a Spring sale, a memory of seeking out pastels in Paris came to mind. Two famous pastel stores were a goal - Sennelier and La Maison du Pastel. The first was easy as it's just across the Seine from The Louvre. The second would prove to be a challenge.
It wasn't easy locating the little shop that still made the pastels
that chemist, Henri Roche, had made for such famous pastelists as Degas, Redon, Whistler, up to present artists. I had read about La Maison du la Pastel on the
internet and wanted to find this out-of-the-way shop that
was only open on Thursdays from 2-6 PM. I did find it but, alas, it was
closed. There was a note on the door. I don't know French, but two-years
of Latin gave me a rudimentary idea of what was
written. It seems the person in charge was next door having tea.
Bold American (me)walked into the bar and asked for Madam Roche. The
waiter had no idea what I wanted. He kept trying to seat me. By a
process of elimination, I found Isabelle Roche. Nothing like I expected.
She was the young, college de-greed granddaughter of M. Roche.
Madam Roche and I walked to the shop, which looked and felt like a typical old Paris warehouse.
She asked what color I wanted. I said,
"Gray." From behind her, she pulled out tray after tray of grays... blue
gray, red gray, and so it went. I was enthralled and next asked for
green. Out came tray after tray of every imaginable green.
I made the mistake of not asking the price. Madam finally brought me back to reality. She said, "These pastels are expensive," and rang up what I had so far. Mon dieux! I left in a financial daze with my carton of beautiful pastels wondering if Degas had experienced the same dazed feeling. (Below are pastels by Degas, Redon and Whistler in that order)
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