Connaissance des Arts
Connaissance des Arts is a French-language art media company, founded in 1952 and owned by Les Echos-Le Parisien group, that publishes a monthly art magazine, 867 hors-série special editions, themed newsletters, and conferences targeting French-speaking art enthusiasts and cultural consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1952
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Connaissance des Arts does
Connaissance des Arts is a French-language art media company founded in 1952 and headquartered at 10 boulevard de Grenelle, Paris. It operates as a subsidiary of Les Echos-Le Parisien media group, owned by Les Echos. The company's primary business is publishing a monthly art magazine accompanied by 867 hors-série special editions, with an archive spanning 1,271 publications covering exhibitions, museums, art history, the art market, cultural heritage, and crafts. The core technology is a WordPress-based content management system integrated with an e-commerce platform (boutique.connaissancedesarts.com) that handles subscriptions and single-issue sales.
The company generates revenue through a diversified B2C model targeting French-speaking art enthusiasts. Recurring revenue streams include monthly/annual magazine subscriptions and a premium subscriber-only "Smart" newsletter. Transactional revenue comes from single-issue and hors-série sales, conference cycles priced at 225€ for ten in-person sessions (or 150€ for full replay access), individual session tickets at 25€/15€, and book sales. A private invitations club offering exclusive exhibition access serves as a community engagement and retention layer. Editorial coverage is supported by partnerships with major cultural institutions including Fondation Louis Vuitton, Mobilier national, Centre des Monuments nationaux, Musée Jacquemart-André, Jeu de Paume, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and Suisse Tourisme.
Beyond the magazine, the company has expanded into digital and live products: five themed email newsletters, an Expothèque exhibition database with behind-the-scenes content, a Dépêches de l'Art breaking news service, and a conference lecture series at its Paris auditorium. Distribution leverages the Les Echos-Le Parisien media group portfolio for cross-promotion, alongside direct channels (own e-commerce, email) and third-party platforms (epresse.fr, Fnac Spectacles). The company maintains an active presence across six major social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest) to drive audience acquisition and subscription conversion.
Connaissance des Arts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Connaissance des Arts
- Legal name
- Connaissance des Arts
- Website
- https://connaissancedesarts.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1952
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Connaissance des Arts is a French-language art media company, founded in 1952 and owned by Les Echos-Le Parisien group, that publishes a monthly art magazine, 867 hors-série special editions, themed newsletters, and conferences targeting French-speaking art enthusiasts and cultural consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Connaissance des Arts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Art Media Publishing
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
Keywords
Where Connaissance des Arts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Connaissance des Arts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Monthly and annual magazine subscriptions providing ongoing access to art criticism, exhibition coverage, and exclusive content. Subscribers receive digital and/or print editions plus premium benefits including invitations to private events.
- Single Issue Sales: One-time purchases of individual magazine issues and special hors-série (special editions) covering specific exhibitions and art topics.
- Conference Programs: Revenue from lecture series and conference cycles, offered both as in-person attendance (225€ for 10-session cycle, 25€ per session) and replay/video access (15€ per session or 150€ for full cycle replay). Events held at auditorium in Paris.
- Premium Newsletter (Smart): The 'Smart' newsletter is reserved for subscribers, generating incremental revenue from premium content offerings. Other newsletters (l'essencielle, l'experte, la sélection expo, métiers d'art) are free with registration.
- Private Event Invitations: Exclusive exhibition invitations and private events offered to club members and magazine subscribers, creating community engagement and retention value.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One time | Conference cycle (10 sessions) - In-person |
| Subscription | One time | Conference cycle (10 sessions) - Replay |
| Subscription | Monthly | Smart Newsletter (Premium) |
| Subscription | Annual | Magazine Subscription |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Single Issues and Hors-série |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Connaissance des Arts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Connaissance des Arts publishes a monthly French-language art magazine and themed hors-série special editions covering exhibitions, museums, artists, the art market, monuments, and crafts. The core offering is extended through a portfolio of five themed email newsletters, the Expothèque exhibition database, paid conference cycles held in a Paris auditorium, a subscribers-only private invitations club, art books, and a Dépêches de l'Art breaking-news service. Revenue is generated through magazine subscriptions, single-issue and book sales, premium newsletter subscriptions, and conference ticket sales.
Product overview
Connaissance des Arts operates a multi-platform art media business built around its core monthly magazine and special issues (hors-séries), supplemented by digital services including themed newsletters, an exhibition database (Expothèque), conference series, and a private invitations club. The portfolio includes 404 monthly issues and 867 special issues covering art exhibitions, artists, museums, art market, monuments, and crafts. The company also publishes books and breaking news through its Dépêches de l'Art service. The offerings are distributed through subscription (print/digital), single-issue sales, and event-based services, with revenue derived from subscriptions, advertising, and event partnerships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- L'Essentielle: Newsletter published twice weekly covering art news, archaeological discoveries, exhibitions, and outing ideas
- L'Experte
- La Sélection Expo
- Métiers d'Art
- Smart
Products and services
- Magazine Connaissance des Arts
Companies that use Connaissance des Arts
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Connaissance des Arts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Connaissance des Arts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Fondation Louis VuittoncoreFondation Louis Vuitton is listed as a key institutional partner of Connaissance des Arts. The partnership involves editorial coverage of the foundation's exhibitions and programs, including major exhibitions like the current Calder retrospective.
- Mobilier nationalcoreMobilier national (National Furniture Repository) partners with Connaissance des Arts for coverage of national heritage furniture and crafts exhibitions. Featured in partnership articles about national collection exhibitions.
- Centre des Monuments nationauxcoreCentre des Monuments nationaux collaborates on exhibition coverage and sponsored content for national monument exhibitions. Explicitly noted as article partner for Château de Cadillac-sur-Garonne exhibition.
- Musée Jacquemart-AndréminorPartnership involves editorial coverage of Musée Jacquemart-André exhibitions including past shows on Splendeurs du baroque and Georges de La Tour.
- Jeu de PaumeminorPartnership covers Jeu de Paume exhibition programming including the Elton John photography collection exhibition.
- Bibliothèque nationale de FranceminorEditorial partnership covering BnF exhibitions and collection presentations, including Louise Bourgeois exhibition collaboration with Centre Pompidou.
- MusverreminorRegional museum partnership for glass art coverage in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region.
- Suisse TourismeminorSuisse Tourisme partners with Connaissance des Arts for marketing coverage promoting Swiss museums and cultural destinations under the 'Art Museums of Switzerland' initiative.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Connaissance des Arts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Artforum: Major international contemporary-art magazine with criticism, reviews, and exhibition coverage; broader global scope and contemporary focus than Connaissance des Arts but overlapping art-criticism audience.
- The Art Newspaper: Internationally established art-market publication covering global exhibitions, auctions, and policy; competes in the same French and international exhibition-coverage niche from a wider, multilingual footprint.
- Apollo Magazine: Long-established British art and antiques magazine covering exhibitions, collecting and cultural heritage with a print + digital model similar to Connaissance des Arts but with English-language, international readership.
Direct peers
- Beaux Arts Magazine: French monthly art and exhibitions magazine with a comparable subscriber base, exhibition coverage focus, and hors-série special editions — directly competing for the same French art-enthusiast audience.
- Le Journal des Arts: France's leading professional art-market weekly covering exhibitions, auctions, museums and heritage, with a similar French-language editorial scope and B2C/B2B hybrid audience.
- Art Absolument: French-language quarterly art magazine focused on modern and contemporary art, exhibitions and artists; directly comparable French B2C art-magazine positioning with a similar subscription/hors-série product mix.
- Le Quotidien de l'Art: Daily French digital news publication on the international art market, museums and auctions; directly comparable editorial territory with a stronger digital-news format.
Emerging players
- Musée Magazine: French digital-first magazine covering exhibitions and contemporary art with a younger, design-forward audience; an emerging alternative for French exhibition-goers overlapping Connaissance des Arts' readership.
Others
- Connaissance des Arts (part of Les Echos-Le Parisien): Included as anchor reference only; the parent ecosystem (Les Echos, Le Parisien, Radio Classique, La Parisienne) functions as a sibling distribution and cross-promotion channel rather than a competitor.
- Beaux-Arts de Paris (Éditions Beaux-Arts): French publisher of art books and exhibition catalogs affiliated with the École des Beaux-Arts; adjacent ecosystem player producing complementary art publications and exhibition content in the same French market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Connaissance des Arts social profiles
Digital presenceConnaissance des Arts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Connaissance des Arts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Connaissance des Arts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Connaissance des Arts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Connaissance des Arts
What does Connaissance des Arts do?
Connaissance des Arts publishes a monthly French-language art magazine and themed hors-série special editions covering exhibitions, museums, artists, the art market, monuments, and crafts. The core offering is extended through a portfolio of five themed email newsletters, the Expothèque exhibition database, paid conference cycles held in a Paris auditorium, a subscribers-only private invitations club, art books, and a Dépêches de l'Art breaking-news service. Revenue is generated through magazine subscriptions, single-issue and book sales, premium newsletter subscriptions, and conference ticket sales.
Is Connaissance des Arts a public or private company?
Connaissance des Arts is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Connaissance des Arts founded?
Connaissance des Arts was founded in 1952. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Connaissance des Arts based?
Connaissance des Arts is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Connaissance des Arts make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are single Issue Sales, conference Programs, premium Newsletter (Smart) and private Event Invitations.
Who are Connaissance des Arts's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Artforum, The Art Newspaper and Apollo Magazine. Direct peers are Beaux Arts Magazine, Le Journal des Arts, Art Absolument and Le Quotidien de l'Art. Musée Magazine is listed as an emerging player. Others are Connaissance des Arts (part of Les Echos-Le Parisien) and Beaux-Arts de Paris (Éditions Beaux-Arts).
Does Connaissance des Arts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Connaissance des Arts.
What industry is Connaissance des Arts in?
Connaissance des Arts's product category is Art Media Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.