1919: THE BIRTH OF PÉBÉO, A PROMISING SKETCH
The story of Pébéo began in 1919, in the Provence region. Established in Saint-Marcel, east of Marseille, the plant was fed by the Béal canal, a driving force behind the growth of the young company of around twenty employees. The French chemicals company was then called “La Pébéo”, after the molecule used in paint production, lead protoxide, known as “Pbo”. In those days, ready-to-use paints were not yet a thing of the past: pigments only existed in powder form, and were only intended for professional use.
1922: THE CALL OF COLOR
1922 marks the first turning point for Pébéo with the arrival of Claudius Chaveau. Originally from Lyon, where he had studied chemistry, Claudius Chaveau cut his teeth in the family silk industry, then in the laboratories of the Lumière brothers. As a visionary young engineer, he was contacted by the administrator of La Pébéo (Dubost), and became the company’s managing director in just a few years. Driven by scientific excellence and inventiveness in the service of creation, Claudius Chaveau infused the young company with his founding values, now handed down from father to son through the generations.
1927: THE PROSE OF COLORS
Every morning, with a clatter of belts, the paddle wheel at the Marseilles factory starts up: the baryte blocks are reduced to a powder so fine it’s almost impalpable. An alchemical ingenuity, it is under the weight of heavy porphyry millstones that the magic of color takes place. Slowly and conscientiously, the monstrous machines mix, crush and polish pigments and baryte, gradually transforming them into homogeneous, brilliant colors.
It was also the era of flexographic inks and Mastic, respectively for printing coffee packaging and for drugstores, glaziers and house painters. If their production ceased at the beginning of the war, it was above all due to a lack of raw materials, as their production was above all a response to the demands of the customers of yesteryear, a closeness to the public that would remain at the heart of Pébéo’s philosophy.
1929: A SENSE OF DISCOVERY
At the dawn of the ’30s, when paint was still a craftsman’s business, Pébéo was already turning to research. Claudius Chaveau equipped the factory with new manufacturing processes that would enable it to bypass the vagaries of speculative lead metal prices. All the old manufacturing processes were replaced by those for “chrome yellow and orange” pigments, a high-density pigment that had previously been missing from painters’ palettes, and which was to become an essential tool in Impressionist painting. Cadmium pigments and lacquers also made their appearance, as did the grinding of powder colors for the building painters’ industry. At the same time, Claudius Chaveau set out to create paints resistant to extreme conditions, studying pigment resistance to saline atmospheres, sunlight and underwater conditions. All these tests, although inconclusive, enabled the company to develop products for signage and advertising.
1934: COLOR TO GO
For centuries, artists and craftsmen prepared their own colors, using pigments developed by the few paint houses. This time-consuming process involved mashing the colors, letting them infuse and then, once diluted, passing them through a sieve. But from the dosage to the binder, not to mention the lack of finesse, the method was time-consuming, approximate and devoid of any means of conservation. In 1934, Pébéo developed the first “ready-to-use” colors, and in the process unleashed a veritable revolution. Originally intended for building painters, the tubes of oil paint enabled old-fashioned shops to display their colors in the streets of the country, and Pébéo to forge its reputation. Available in 15 exclusive colors, these “ready-to-use” tubes quickly won over artists, and without realizing it, Pébéo entered the world of art.
1935: THE ERA OF ORGANIC PIGMENTS
Organic (synthetic) pigments first appeared in the 19th century, gradually replacing mineral pigments. As early as 1935, La Pébéo turned to this chemistry of the future, and the Saint-Marcel factory was infused with the scent of Beta-naphthol. Steam rises in the company’s cauldrons, where coal tar, benzene, naphthalene and anthracene are distilled to become organic pigments: a vast range of colors is born. The year 1935 also heralded the start of the family adventure, when young Robert Chaveau discovered the workings of the trade in the footsteps of his father Claudius. Never mind that he couldn’t master the heavy mortar, flooding his apron with paint! This first experience was enough to ignite his passion for color, sealing his fate with that of the company.
1940: COLOR FOR ALL
With the advent of war, the entire industry suffered from a shortage of raw materials. With the help of his friend Mario de Andreis, who came up with the idea, Claudius Chaveau combined chemistry and craftsmanship, developing the first color pastilles. This dry process, which required few raw materials, opened up new horizons for Pébéo. Intended for children, these pastilles are presented in miniature cardboard pallets or in small metal tins, which will leave their mark on an entire generation.
1948: CUPS, GOUACHE AND WATERCOLOUR
The early 50s saw a new adventure for Pébéo, with the introduction of its school range. From formulation to production, the company inaugurated an entirely new chemistry. Rich in pigments and offering remarkable texture and rendering, the buckets were a real success. They were quickly followed by gouache tubes, to the delight of students and art teachers alike. At the same time, Pébéo invested for the first time in watercolor painting, developed with the technical and artistic assistance of watercolorist Charles Blocteur.
1949: AVANT-GARDE
In his quest for color, Robert Chaveau began his initiatory journey at Le Péano, an emblematic Marseilles venue where established painters rubbed shoulders with up-and-coming artists. It was here that he met Pierre Ambrogiani, René Seyssaud and Jean Saussac. Through their contact, Robert developed a new formula to meet their needs: “Super Détrempe”. Easy to use, high in pigments, quick-drying and oil-like in texture, “Super Détrempe” quickly won over many painters. However, it was not a commercial success and, victim of its avant-garde nature, the brand was forced to abandon its development. It was only 29 years later that a similar product appeared on the market: acrylic.
1950: THE AWAKENING OF PEBEO
Claudius Chaveau met Célestin Freinet, teacher and initiator of the Ecole Moderne, whose pedagogy was based on awakening the child. In the past, Freinet had tried gluing powdered colors with gum arabic, plasticizing them or diluting them with washing-up liquid. Weary of failing to achieve the desired results, he went to the Pebeo factory to meet the plant manager. Together, they came up with a new type of gouache: liquid gouache. More elaborate than its powder version, it was also much more practical to use, as it required no preparation. Packaged in large containers, it was perfectly suited to painting classes and the emblematic free expression of the Ecole Moderne. The dialogue between the two men would never cease: their understanding would be at the origin of the artistic awakening of thousands of schoolchildren, and would be decisive in the history of Pébéo.
1952-1953: THE WORLD OF FINE COLOR
In 1952, a new encounter sealed Pébéo’s destiny. A renowned painter and gallery owner, Armand Drouant was also a manufacturer of fine oil paints. But while artists such as Braque, Gromaire, Soutine, Buffet and Van Dongen were all represented in his Paris gallery, he was forced to cease his industrial activity. By taking over his factory, Pébéo acquired his know-how and gained access to the secrets of this world. “After being compacted in hand mixers, the color is refined on tri-cylinder mills: its fineness is proportional to the pressure exerted on the cylinders and the number of passes. It then undergoes quality controls during manufacture and before packaging…”. Now equipped with granite mixers and grinders, Pébéo was finally able to expand into the fine color sector. In 1953, the extra-fine oil-based gouache “Fragonard” was introduced, followed by the Beaux-Arts varnish range. 1953 also saw the debut of Robert Chaveau, who officially joined the company. He decided to expand the range of organic pigments inaugurated a few years earlier. His enthusiasm for color was to leave its mark on the company’s history: he described its manufacture as a “loving embrace”, where “the filtered and poured solutions (…) melt into each other to become pigment”.
1960: THE TEXTILE ADVENTURE
1960 saw a new Pébéo revolution, with the launch of the “Setacolor” range of fabric paints. Until then, the few products in this field had not been perfected. By adapting the printing pastes then used in the textile industry, Pébéo became a virtuoso of fabric color, making its mark as far afield as the Pacific islands. Under the breeze of the trade winds, Pébéo’s shimmering colors, studded with sequins, mother-of-pearl and fluorescence, charmed the vahines who adorned their pareos with them. This is the consecration of photo-solarization, a process that consists of applying a diluted color to a stretched cotton voile, before applying masks of various patterns. When exposed to the sun, the prints appear in negative pastel tones, contrasting with the color-saturated surfaces exposed to the sun.
1961-1965: DISCOVERING MATTER
Driven by a desire to stand out from the competition, Pébéo’s laboratories redoubled their imagination and inventiveness: ultra-concentrated dilutable gouache, finger-tip gouache (“Tactilcolor”), felt-tip drawing pens, or “Primaires” paints (inspired by Isaac Newton’s trichromatic principle)…. These advances were followed by refillable markers, which thrilled budding and established artists alike, such as the American painter Gordon Onslow Ford, who even stopped by the factory to compliment Robert Chaveau on their resistance to light. During this period, Pébéo never ceased to study the material, seeking to understand its properties, until it succeeded in imitating them. This unequivocal passion led the company’s chemists to achieve a series of feats in the ancestral practices of ceramics and stained glass. Fascinated by the techniques he discovered in the workshops of painter and ceramist Salvado, Robert Chaveau developed the first La Pébéo ceramic paints, whose exceptionally hard resin offers highly decorative undercoats, covers and reliefs. This was followed by vitrail colors and glazes, also inspired by a chance encounter. Not far from the Saint-Marcel factory, a certain Chauvel, alias Frère Antoine, came into contact with Claudius Chaveau: he was looking for an ingenious and inexpensive solution for the stained glass windows in his church at La Valbarelle. The collaboration between the two men led to the development of a new range, and Pébéo added a new string to its bow.
1969: THE GRAPHIC CONQUEST
As its school department expanded, La Pébéo wanted to improve the performance of its felts, and sought advice from a fast-growing sector: graphic studios. Claude Merle, a talented printer, photoengraver and creative thinker, encouraged the company to set up a Graphic Arts department. Their collaboration led to numerous innovations, such as drawing ink, Indian ink and the famous “Drawing-gum”, a novel drawing eraser that met with inter-generational success. It was also the start of the color and black & white photo retouching range, which reached its peak in the 80s.
1970: PÉBÉO BECOMES PÉBÉO
In this new decade, Pébéo keeps its tone, but loses its La. It’s a time of renewal. Just as craftsmanship has given way to advanced chemistry, marketing is gaining ground, and the winds of globalization are prompting management to rethink the company’s name. Hitherto identified with a female figure and a family business, the new brand identity enables Pébéo to increase its visibility and expand its frontiers.
1975: CONTROLLED GROWTH
As Pébéo passes the 100-employee mark, the time has come to restructure its business. Faced with increasing international competition, the company decided to stop manufacturing pigments, and concentrated its efforts on developing its Beaux Arts range. Innovations continue with extra-fine watercolors. Rich in pigments and offering exceptional dilution and flexibility, this “moist” color process was an immediate success.
1977: PIONEERING MADE IN FRANCE
Born in Mexico in the 50s, acrylics are the result of a collaboration between chemists and painters, who were looking for a flexible, UV-resistant paint that would enable them to create frescoes with greater ease. Echoing Pebeo’s modernity and dynamism, it came as no surprise when the company decided to start manufacturing acrylic paints. In 1977, Pébéo introduced the first acrylic to be produced entirely in France, establishing itself as a pioneer of Made in France. Its launch was accompanied by a national competition, the Prix Acrylic, which brought to light artists such as Gérard Lainé, Jean Gasnault, Nicole Bottet and Jean-Jacques Surian.
1981-1983: THE INTERNATIONAL TURNING POINT
Established in countries around the Mediterranean and in French-speaking countries, where its school range was very popular, the 1980s opened up new prospects for Pébéo: the spirit of the age was one of international development. The arrival of Eric Chaveau (son of Robert and grandson of Claudius) marked a turning point in Pébéo’s international presence. After studying chemical engineering and management, he set about developing the company’s export strategy, an ambitious objective that proved successful: in just a few years, Pébéo succeeded in building a reliable distribution network, adapting its offer to different countries without compromising its values or the quality of its products.
The period was marked by exponential international growth, with 40% of production destined for export. The ambition to create a lasting dynamic around Pebeo led to the creation of subsidiaries in Denmark, Italy and the United States.
1989: NEW HEADQUARTERS AND NEW HORIZONS
As the export department expands, Pébéo’s laboratories become cramped. The worldwide success of Pébéo’s product range, and the resulting high production rates, meant that the company had to rethink its premises. If Pébéo’s heritage is in Saint-Marcel, its future will be in Gémenos. Designed by architect Maurice Sauzet, Pébéo’s new headquarters are inspired by Japanese architecture. A window onto the hills of Gémenos and the world, it reflects the company’s modernity and innovative values. Designed around quality of work and quality of life, the quality of the layout gives Pébéo a new lease of life.
1993: INNOVATION AND RESEARCH
For Pebeo, the 90s began with the Namta innovation prize, thanks to the first transparent plastic tube in 100 ml format, designed for acrylic packaging. At the same time, another advance was revolutionizing the industry: information technology. Many of the products distributed became obsolete, leading to the closure of Pebeo’s graphics department.
Equally committed to ancestral techniques and cutting-edge research, Pebeo’s laboratory was selected for the European Commission’s “Crisatel” research program. Alongside the laboratories of the Louvre and the National Gallery of London, Pébéo is participating in the design of a high-definition image storage and management system, which now provides non-destructive access to the pictorial layers of precious works of art.
1995: TRADITION AND RENEWAL
At the head of the company, Eric Chaveau succeeds his father Robert. More than ever, his watchwords are innovation and creativity: “We’re not afraid to take risks. Artists take more risks than we do, and we have to live up to their dreams. “As a result, Pébéo has become the French leader in color for the arts, education and leisure: every year, the brand now produces 1,500 tons of paint, in the form of 3,500 references, 10 million tubes and the same number of bottles.
1995 also marked the inauguration of the second Gémenos site, which, among its 5,000 m2, houses a state-of-the-art laboratory. The old site, meanwhile, was transformed into a showcase for the company’s range of products and services, and enabled the company to develop its sponsorship activities through the creation of a contemporary art space.
1996: PÉBÉO SUMMER FESTIVAL
Driven by the desire to bring art to life and make it travel, the company is inviting students from art schools all over the world for the first time. Gathered around a common theme, the company offers them an unprecedented medium of expression: containers! The event, l’Estivale de Pébéo, takes place live over 3 days, on the beaches of l’Escale Borely in Marseille. The “floating” works of art, bearers of hope and messengers of creativity, travel to every continent, from Marseille to Hong Kong, via Hamburg, Abidjan and Bora-Bora. In the same year, Pébéo received the Cézanne prize for logistics for the complete overhaul of its shipping chain, optimizing efficiency by 60%: the 6,000 references already on offer will now be shipped from the head office.
2000-2005: PEBEO AND THE RISING SUN
In response to demand, and in order to adapt to a world of shrinking distances, Pébéo organized itself: a new production unit was launched in Tunisia, in the Zaghouan region, to help package and assemble the products manufactured in Gémenos. Thanks to this new department, Pébéo’s school range products, which were at the heart of the company’s history, but whose profitability was now declining, can continue to delight pupils all over the world. This international dynamic is reflected in the creation of a production site in Kunshan, 50 km from Shanghai, based on the same model as the parent plant in Géménos. The move to China was a success, and in 2005, Pébéo was honored by its adopted city of Kunshan. Perfectly optimized and designed on a human scale, these new points of anchorage lead to the development of products that have become emblematic, such as the “Atelier” boxes, the “Arti’stick” range, and “Touch”: a multi-support pen whose crystal, gloss, volume, pearl and metal variants offer infinite applications.Parallel to its international expansion, Pébéo has not abandoned its roots: immersion in the world of the arts, in the heart of the Phocaean basin. In 2003, the company helped found the “Mécènes du sud” association, whose aim is to provide alternative support for artistic projects through innovative collective action. Convinced that contemporary creation nourishes the collective imagination and innovation, Eric Chaveau became president of the association in 2005.
2007: PÉBÉO’S CORONATION
For Pébéo, 2007 is a year of distinction. Crowned the best French SME in China, Pébéo has also been awarded the “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” (Living Heritage Company) label: a mark of recognition from the French government for French companies with outstanding craftsmanship and industrial know-how. For Pébéo, this marks 80 years of quality and innovation in the service of art and creativity. It also honors the men and women behind Pébéo’s success: insatiable enthusiasts committed to creating much more than pigments.
2009: INNOVATIONS FOR THE IMAGINATION
It’s a time of new trends in interior design. Pébéo, with its “P.BO Déco” range, is helping to democratize interior decorating. Halfway between creative hobbies and traditional techniques, the ultra-contemporary colors and innovative, intuitive kits appeal to amateurs and enthusiasts alike, enabling them to invest their interiors in new ways. In its perpetual quest for the colors of tomorrow, Pébéo never ceases to reinvent itself. Introduced in 2009, DYNA colors are a perfect example. Reacting to light, their innovative pigments offer radiance and dynamism, for a tenfold modernity. Available in both oils and acrylics, they have won over even the greatest artists, such as Robert Combas, who praises their versatility (see interview From being a manufacturer of colors, Pébéo has gradually become a manufacturer of artists. Making its mark on the art world, the company has stepped up its sponsorship activities, organizing and taking part in events such as the Cow Parade (2007), the Affordable Art Fair in Beijing (2008), and the Pébéo Bus, which went to meet Spanish students in art schools.
2011-2018: A DECADE OF RESEARCH AND PATRONAGE
As the 4th generation joins Pébéo in the person of Antoine Chaveau, the company is turning its attention more than ever to contemporary artists, through an increasing number of collaborations, sponsorship initiatives, and the organization of competitions and events. As patron of Monumenta at the Grand Palais, as well as of Louvre.fr, Pébéo pursues its educational vocation by developing educational modules: discovery of works, initiation to artistic creation and techniques. The Pébéo space was inaugurated in Géménos in 2012. A living tribute to colors and those who create them, this site dedicated to cultural mediation is a behind-the-scenes look at Pébéo’s inventions, history and talents. In the following years, Pébéo invited Japanese artist Tomosuke Nakayama (2014), followed by Yigit Yazici, a painter from Istanbul, to take up residence (2015), at the source of color. In 2013, Marseille was elected European Capital of Culture. To mark the occasion, Pébéo welcomed Marie Angeletti, who immersed herself in the heart of the company for nearly six months. Conceived as a bridge of images between the Géménos and Kunshan sites in China, the artist’s work focused on the human factor at Pébéo, inviting its employees to enter into the creative process of a collaborative and autonomous work.A patron beyond borders, Pébéo inaugurated a space dedicated to painting in London in 2014. Artists from all over the world are invited to discover Pébéo’s new patented products. The “Fantasy Prisme”, “Fantasy Moon” and “Mixed Media” ranges see the light of day at this time, as do the “4Artist Marker” markers: a uniquely versatile offering that is once again rewarded by the Namta (2014) for its innovative character. With these multi-media ranges, the company once again pushes back the boundaries of creativity, putting its chemical know-how at the service of the artist’s imagination. In contrast to the compartmentalized techniques of yesteryear, these new products dare unprecedented confrontations and an infinite number of applications, where paint retracts, distends and contorts itself in an unprecedented play of color and texture. Crystal resins, stained-glass paints, leaded crimps, gold leaf, colors with opalescent, transparent or glazed effects, superimposed or in relief, offer a journey to the heart of colors, materials and sensations. The possibilities are such that the creation of these ranges leads to the launch of a dedicated magazine, as well as the annual “Mixed Media” competition, inaugurated in 2016.
2019: COLORS THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME
In 2019, Pébéo celebrates a century of expertise, color and innovation, in the service of art, curiosity and creativity. A century spent reinventing ourselves and pushing back boundaries, with the sole aim of stirring passions, awakening the senses, and opening minds to color, materials and shapes.Drawing on its experience in patronage, it’s only natural that this historic anniversary should lead Pébéo to organize an international competition. The event, which attracted over 1,500 entries, culminated in a semi-final in Paris, a final in London and a traveling exhibition around the world, followed by a succession of artistic events in the streets of London, where Pébéo invited a series of internationally renowned contemporary artists to take over the Brick Lane district of Shoreditch.A unique playground and street-art mecca, it hosts works by Frak One and Said Dokins, who present their calligraphic work, as well as a mural by Frank Pelegrino and Ludovilk Myers, reunited for the first time.Korean artist Young-Sung Kim organizes a conference on his practice of hyperrealism, while Nancy Wood offers a dive into the heart of her technique on resin.For Pébéo, 2019 is also an opportunity to perfect its educational vocation. Hosted by Fred from the BeauxArts.fr channel, the “Pébéo Art Academy” makes its debut on Youtube. Tips, advice and tutorials make up a panel of videos aimed at experienced artists and enthusiasts alike. For Pébéo, this centenary is all about sustainable development. Supporting the artists of today as well as those of tomorrow, the company is launching a 100% natural modeling clay and its first organic vegetable inks. Respectful of both children and the environment, they are formulated with vegetable and mineral pigments, are derived from non-GMO organic farming, are gluten-free, solvent-free and 100% vegan. More determined than ever to put its industrial know-how at the service of art, curiosity and individual fulfillment, Pébéo is now part of a dynamic future, and its history is written through the hands of every enthusiast.
2020: ULTIMATE POURING MEDIUM
In 2O20 Pébéo launched its Ultimate pouring medium range, an innovation developed with the artist Nancy Wood, inventor of this technique. After years of searching for her own recipe, the artist, with the help of Pébéo’s teams, was able to develop a formula that produces unique but controllable effects, available in 20 brilliant, fluorescent and metallic colors. This guaranteed result goes hand in hand with the ambition to make Fluid Art accessible to all. A master class and tutorials are now available online to help you master this technique.
2021: PEBEO MIXED MEDIA COMPETITION
The 5th edition of the Pébéo Mixed Media competition, which since 2016 has contributed to the discovery of French and foreign talent on the contemporary art scene, focused on Urban Art in 2021. Organized in partnership with the art center Fluctuart, this edition demonstrated the dynamism of this movement, which favors the mixed media techniques developed by Pébéo. 2021 was also marked by the arrival of Antoine Chaveau as head of sales for the French market, after nine years devoted to export at Pébéo.
2024: INNOVATION AT THE SERVICE OF CREATION: ORIGIN
Pébéo launches its revolutionary new Origin range: the first eco-designed acrylic range.
Origin, a range made in France with 96% raw materials of European origin, a 100% recycled binder, an odorless formula, a tube made from 44% paper, each tube comes with a touch of genuine color. With its classic color chart and 48 colors including 3 types of opacity: transparent, semi-opaque and opaque, as well as classic, metallic, iridescent and fluorescent colors. It confers purity and radiance to the blend.
An artist-approved range!
Pébéo called on a group of international artists, whatever their artistic practice, from the most realistic to the most abstract, whether they work with a knife or a brush. What they all have in common is their conviction in the relevance and necessity of this Origin range. Artists are keen to express themselves in a lasting way.
