The Pastels of M. Henri Roche, Paris

 

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.

  She had decided to use her grandfather's book of formulas to re-create his work. I thought her very clever considering the challenge she set up for herself. After all, her grandfather had collaborated with Degas, known to be difficult at best, to create acceptable pastel sticks. 

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)

What's good enough for Degas...

Question: What do I have in common with Degas (image on left), Cassatt, Rodin and Toulouse-Lautrec? Answer: We all appreciated the vibrant colors and immediacy of sketching/painting with pastels. You may think me a little arrogant to put Atencio in the company of such greats, but in Paris in year 2005, I came as close to M. Degas as I possibly could.

First, I've been enchanted with pastels even before I started art classes. The response of such vivid colors on paper is a thing of beauty. I had two pastel goals while visiting the City of Lights.

The first goal was to go to the D' Orsay Art Museum. It is a beautiful old train station that's been converted to an art museum. It is known for an outstanding collection of Impressionists' art. I went there three times to savor the pastels of Degas, Lautrec, and Redon. The last time was to say good-bye and to plant a wish to see them again one day.

The second goal was to find the little shop that still made the pastels that Degas has used. I had read about La Maison du la Pastel on the internet (where else?) 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 Catholic school Latin gave me a rudimentary idea of what was written. It seems the person in charge was next door having a tea.

Bold, American woman (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 trained granddaughter of the chemist, M. Roche, who had worked with Degas to create the pastel sticks as Degas wanted them.

Madam Roche opened the shop, which looked and felt like a typical old Paris warehouse.(Photo on left) 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. Do you suppose we had that in common, too?

Click here to check out the process and colors of Roche pastels

Click here to read a short, interesting history of Roche and Degas