The world of champagne is all about blending, nuance and emotion – and so is watercolour painting. This synergy has inspired Maison Taittinger to collaborate with Maison Charvin, a French manufacturer of high-quality paints which supplied Cézanne, Monet, and Renoir over a hundred years ago, and still serves artists worldwide today.
Handpicked excellence
Located within Maison Taittinger’s new visitor and reception area on Place Saint-Nicaise in Reims, the new Chromatique boutique lives up to its name more than ever by offering an exclusive selection of Maison Charvin’s extra-fine watercolours, alongside other unique artisanal products. An unexpected yet highly meaningful collaboration. “Taittinger approached us for a partnership after selecting us from among other manufacturers for our unique colours, our ability to produce bespoke, small-batch creations with a focus on quality, and a visual and marketing ethos in close alignment with their own,” explains Laurence Charvin. Together with her husband Bruno, she took over La Palette d’Art in 2000 – a company that had been producing oil paints and varnishes in the South of France since 1830.
The finest raw materials
As well as expanding their range to include watercolours, gouache and acrylics, the Charvins reworked every formulation, using more natural pigments for certain shades and considerably more durable synthetic pigments for others. These basic elements are selected from around the globe for their specific properties and the desired nuances. “We use the finest raw materials available on the market,” Laurence points out. While preserving the artisanal expertise and authenticity that forms the bedrock of the house’s reputation, they modernised production with Swiss three-roll mills to ensure ultra-fine grinding. What are the hallmarks of Charvin professional watercolours? A highly varied range of ultra-brilliant colours, with remarkable purity, luminosity, and durability over time – qualities that align perfectly with Taittinger’s pursuit of excellence.
Deep affinities
“This partnership is a meeting of two houses bound by tradition and excellence,” the two parties affirm in a joint statement. What do watercolours and champagne have in common? “Quality, lightness, transparency, and intensity.” And perhaps one might add: the art of blending – just as essential in crafting champagne as it is in a watercolour artist’s palette; yet whereas the winemaker combines grape varieties, vintages, and crus, the painter produces harmonies of colour. “The goal was to find the watercolour shade closest to each Taittinger cuvée. We proposed several options that work beautifully, both chromatically and visually.”These meticulously-selected watercolours are presented in an elegant matte white box, sold exclusively at the Chromatique boutique in Reims. A reminder of the deep connection between Champagne Taittinger and the world of art and artists.
