At the end of the 19th century, when producing the first oil-based colours reserved for his artist clients, Gustave Sennelier understood the need to make his preparations using very high quality pigments, whose origins were carefully checked and whose chemical characteristics were very precise. Compliance with these requirements ensured the preservation of the original tones and the durability of the artists' works.
Today, although many pigments have disappeared due to the exhaustion of their natural deposits or have been banned because of their toxicity, the market offers a wide variety of synthetic pigments that match the results of the old mineral pigments, such as Lapis Lazuli, Cinnabar, etc....
At the beginning of the 21st century, Sennelier is still very vigilant about the choice of pigments he uses in his own manufactures: oils and extra-fine watercolours, soft pastels and oil pastels. These same pigments are offered to the artists, who then have the possibility to fully master the preparation of their colours for a precise purpose.