Conté à Paris art materials

Conté à Paris is a legendary name in the world of fine arts, established in 1795 by Nicolas-Jacques Conté. A polymath who served as a chemist, painter, and inventor, Conté is most famously credited with creating the modern pencil lead by mixing graphite with clay—a revolutionary technique born out of necessity when Napoleonic-era blockades cut off the supply of pure English graphite. This innovation allowed for the production of pencils with varying degrees of hardness, a standard still used today.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the brand's sticks and pencils became staples for masters like Picasso and Degas. While the brand was acquired by the French giant BIC in 1979, the high-end professional line specifically branded as 'Conté à Paris' was later revived under the ownership of Colart. Today, the brand maintains its French heritage through production and historical association while being part of a global portfolio of art materials.

Ownership of the 'Conté' name is notably split; the mass-market stationery products are still associated with BIC, while the professional fine art range is owned by Colart. Colart itself is a London-based subsidiary of the Swedish investment group Lindéngruppen, ensuring that this historic French brand continues to serve artists worldwide with a mix of traditional quality and modern corporate backing.