Lefranc Bourgeois
Lefranc Bourgeois is a 300-year-old French manufacturer of fine art paints, inks, mediums, and accessories, operating the world's largest paint factory in Le Mans and serving professional artists, hobbyists, and children primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce and French retail as part of the ColArt group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- Headquarters—
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Lefranc Bourgeois does
Lefranc Bourgeois is a French fine art materials manufacturer with a heritage of more than 300 years, operating from the world's largest paint factory in Le Mans, France, which produces over 15 million tubes of paint per year. The company sells paints, mediums, varnishes, inks, brushes, canvases, papers, and accessories organized into a tiered portfolio spanning Extra-Fine, Fine, and Etude/Start grades across acrylic, oil, gouache, watercolor, and vinyl (Flashe) chemistries. Iconic SKUs include the Flashe ultra-matte vinyl paint, Linel Extra-Fine gouache, and Extra-Fine Oil collections under the Giverny and Impressionist lines.
The business serves three primary customer segments: professional and semi-professional artists seeking premium pigment quality, amateur enthusiasts and art students served by accessible lines such as Acrylique Start, and children and families through a dedicated children's product range. The company also pursues licensing and artist collaborations (notably the Henri Matisse gouache set and the Olivia de Bona M.U.R Antibes mural) to extend brand reach into cultural and urban art contexts.
Lefranc Bourgeois generates revenue primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce via its French website (with free shipping over €60), supplemented by physical retail points of sale in France and the sister-brand Charbonnel shop in Paris, which also functions as a workshop venue. Pricing follows a unit model with tubes ranging from approximately €2.50 to over €12, gift sets from €10 to roughly €99, and seasonal promotions offering 20–25% discounts. The company is a privately held subsidiary of ColArt, a diversified art materials conglomerate that also owns Charbonnel and Conté à Paris, and it carries Certified B Corporation status via the parent group.
Lefranc Bourgeois firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lefranc Bourgeois
- Legal name
- Lefranc Bourgeois
- Website
- https://lefrancbourgeois.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Lefranc Bourgeois is a 300-year-old French manufacturer of fine art paints, inks, mediums, and accessories, operating the world's largest paint factory in Le Mans and serving professional artists, hobbyists, and children primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce and French retail as part of the ColArt group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lefranc Bourgeois industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fine Art Supplies Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Paint and Wallpaper Retailers (44412), Printing Ink Manufacturing (32591)
- SIC
- Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fine Art Materials Retail (Paint, Canvas, Drawing) (CRALACAB)
Keywords
Lefranc Bourgeois business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Art Supplies Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of fine art materials including paints (acrylic, oil, gouache, watercolor, Flashe), mediums, varnishes, brushes, canvases, and accessories through their e-commerce platform and retail points.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual paint tubes and sets |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Lefranc Bourgeois product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lefranc Bourgeois manufactures and sells fine art paints and materials, including acrylic, oil, gouache, watercolor, and vinyl-based Flashe paints, along with mediums, varnishes, inks, brushes, papers, and accessories. The company produces over 15 million tubes of paint annually at the world's largest paint factory in Le Mans, France, selling both professional-grade and beginner-tier art supplies directly to consumers through e-commerce and retail points of sale.
Product overview
Lefranc Bourgeois is a French fine art materials manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of professional art supplies organized into distinct product lines: paints (acrylic in Fine and Start tiers, Flashe vinyl paint in Extra-Fine/Collector/Bio Sourcée variants, oil paint in Extra-Fine/Fine grades, gouache in Linel Extra-Fine and Etude, watercolor in Fine and Etude, and decorative Vitrail paint), mediums and varnishes for all paint types, inks (Nan-King Chinese ink and linocut ink), tools (brushes, palette knives), supports (paper, sketchbooks), accessories (frames, palettes, easels, mannequins), gift sets, children's products, printmaking materials (linogravure), and gilding products. The company operates from the world's largest paint factory in Le Mans, France, producing over 15 million tubes annually. As part of the ColArt group, the brand maintains a heritage of over 300 years while serving both professional artists and children through its diverse product ecosystem.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Peinture Acrylique Fine High-quality acrylic paint line with smooth, pigment-rich texture and satin finish, designed for fine art and professional painting.
- Peinture Acrylique Start 33 vibrant colors with fluid texture and quick drying, manufactured in France at an accessible price point for beginners and hobbyists.
- Peinture Flashe Extra-Fine Iconic vinyl-based paint with ultra-matte finish, intense colors, excellent coverage, and multi-surface application, recognized in fine art and mural work.
- Peinture à l'Huile Extra-Fine Premium quality oil paint for professional artists with superior pigment concentration, including the Giverny and Impressionist collections.
- Peinture à l'Huile Fine Quality oil paint suitable for artists seeking professional results at an accessible price.
- Gouache Linel Extra-Fine Premium gouache paint with exceptional pigment quality for fine art and illustration work.
- Gouache Etude Study-grade gouache paint designed for learning and practice purposes.
- Aquarelle Fine Fine quality watercolor paint for artists requiring high pigment concentration and excellent lightfastness.
- Aquarelle Etude Studio-grade watercolor paint designed for study and practice.
- Peinture Vitrail Decorative glass painting product for creating stained glass effects.
- Médiums et Vernis Range of mediums and varnishes for oil, acrylic, gouache, and watercolor paints, including preparation, creation, protection, and cleaning products.
- Encre de Chine Nan-King Chinese ink available in black and colored variants for drawing and illustration.
- Encre Linogravure Specialized ink for linocut printmaking.
- Pinceaux Professional brushes for oil, acrylic, watercolor, and gouache painting in various sizes and materials.
- Coffrets & Cadeaux Curated gift sets containing paints and accessories for acrylic, oil, Flashe, gouache, and watercolor, suitable for beginners and artists.
- Produits Enfants Art supplies designed for children including Liquid Gouache Redimix, Gouache Essentiels, Sparkling Gouache, Acrylique Essentiels, Glossy Acrylic, brushes, paper, and accessory sets.
- Linogravure Materials and tools for the linocut printmaking technique.
- Dorure Gilding products including liquid gilding in various finishes (gold, silver, copper, brass, etc.).
- Acrylique Fluo Fluorescent/neon acrylic paint color line for artists.
- Set Henri Matisse Gouache Collection Gouache set featuring the Henri Matisse collection, offering rich pigments and artistic inspiration through a licensed artist collaboration.
- Accessoires (Châssis, Palettes, Chevalets, Mannequins) Artist accessories including frames (châssis), palettes, easels, and mannequins for painting support and practice.
Companies that use Lefranc Bourgeois
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Lefranc Bourgeois technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Lefranc Bourgeois partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Olivia de BonaminorFrench artist who created the 3rd M.U.R (urban art wall) in Antibes using Lefranc Bourgeois Flashe paint. This collaboration showcases the paint's suitability for large-scale artistic projects and murals, generating social media content and brand visibility.
- ColArtcoreColArt is the parent company of Lefranc Bourgeois. As part of the ColArt group, Lefranc Bourgeois benefits from shared resources, brand portfolio management, and operational synergies across fine art material brands.
- CharbonnelminorSister brand under ColArt specializing in printmaking and engraving supplies. Charbonnel's Paris shop at 13 Quai de Montebello serves as a venue for Lefranc Bourgeois workshops and community events, creating cross-brand visibility.
- Conté à ParisminorSister brand under ColArt known for drawing and sketching products including pencils, pastels, and charcoal. Part of the unified fine art materials portfolio within the ColArt group.
- LeonaroseminorArtist collaboration for limited edition acrylic sets. The partnership included a social media contest where followers could win the special edition set, driving engagement and brand awareness among the artist's followers.
- Henri Matisse EstateminorLicensing partnership allowing Lefranc Bourgeois to create the Henri Matisse gouache set, featuring the artist's legacy and rich pigments for art enthusiasts. Part of the premium Linel Extra-Fine collection.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lefranc Bourgeois competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Daler-Rowney: British fine art materials manufacturer (now owned by Plasco) producing System 3 and Georgian ranges in oil, watercolor, acrylic and gouache plus sketchbooks and brushes. Comparable across an equivalent breadth of paint chemistries and the Etude/student tier of Lefranc Bourgeois.
- Royal Talens: Dutch fine art manufacturer behind the Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Talens expertise ranges serving professional and student artists. Comparable as a multi-tier European fine art brand occupying similar price tiers and product categories (oil, watercolor, gouache, acrylic) as Lefranc Bourgeois.
- Holbein: Japanese manufacturer of artist-grade watercolors, gouache, oils and acryla since 1920. Comparable as another heritage specialty maker serving professional fine artists globally, competing in the same premium oil/gouache categories as Lefranc Bourgeois Extra-Fine tiers.
- Winsor & Newton: Premium British fine art paint and material manufacturer (also part of the ColArt group). Direct comparable across professional oils, watercolors, acrylics and gouache and the leading global reference point in fine art paints, sharing the same parent group as Lefranc Bourgeois.
- Maimeri: Italian fine art paint maker with the MaimeriBlu professional range of oils, watercolors and acrylics. Comparable as another mid-sized European specialty manufacturer focused on professional pigments and lightfastness, competing for the same premium studio artist segment.
- Schmincke: German manufacturer of professional artist paints including Mussini oils and Horadam watercolors, family-owned since 1881. Comparable as a premium European fine art paint maker competing in the same Extra-Fine segment of professional artists as Lefranc Bourgeois.
- Sennelier: French fine art paint manufacturer founded in 1887, producing premium oils, watercolors, gouache and inks. Closely comparable to Lefranc Bourgeois as a heritage French manufacturer targeting professional artists with a similar premium product portfolio and price positioning.
- Daniel Smith: US-based manufacturer of professional artist watercolors and oils, known for a very large pigment palette. Comparable as a premium watercolor specialist in the same Extra-Fine category as Lefranc Bourgeois' Aquarelle Fine line, addressing professional watercolorists.
- Golden Artist Colors: US-based manufacturer of professional acrylic paints, mediums and varnishes favored by working artists. Comparable as a specialty, professional-grade acrylic paint maker whose product architecture (heavy body, fluid, mediums/varnishes) mirrors Lefranc Bourgeois' acrylic and medium portfolio.
- Gamblin Artists Colors: US-based independent manufacturer focused on artist-grade oils, mediums and conservation materials. Comparable as a specialist premium oil and medium maker for professional artists, overlapping directly with Lefranc Bourgeois' Huile Extra-Fine and Médiums et Vernis lines.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lefranc Bourgeois social profiles
Digital presenceLefranc Bourgeois compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Lefranc Bourgeois financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lefranc Bourgeois leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Lefranc Bourgeois funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lefranc Bourgeois 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 Lefranc Bourgeois
What does Lefranc Bourgeois do?
Lefranc Bourgeois manufactures and sells fine art paints and materials, including acrylic, oil, gouache, watercolor, and vinyl-based Flashe paints, along with mediums, varnishes, inks, brushes, papers, and accessories. The company produces over 15 million tubes of paint annually at the world's largest paint factory in Le Mans, France, selling both professional-grade and beginner-tier art supplies directly to consumers through e-commerce and retail points of sale.
Is Lefranc Bourgeois a public or private company?
Lefranc Bourgeois is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Lefranc Bourgeois founded?
Lefranc Bourgeois was founded in -1.
How does Lefranc Bourgeois make money?
One revenue line is on record: art Supplies Sales.
Who are Lefranc Bourgeois's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Daler-Rowney, Royal Talens, Holbein, Winsor & Newton, Maimeri, Schmincke, Sennelier, Daniel Smith, Golden Artist Colors and Gamblin Artists Colors.
Does Lefranc Bourgeois have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lefranc Bourgeois.
What industry is Lefranc Bourgeois in?
Lefranc Bourgeois's product category is Fine Art Supplies Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALACAB, Fine Art Materials Retail (Paint, Canvas, Drawing). Its NAICS code is 325510 and its SIC code is 3950.