cornelissen

What cornelissen does

L. Cornelissen & Son is a historic London-based retailer of specialist art materials, established in 1855 and operating from a single physical shop at 105 Great Russell Street near the British Museum, alongside an e-commerce storefront at cornelissen.com. The company sells a catalog of more than 1,500 products across pigments, gums and resins; oils, acrylics and mediums; canvas and supports; watercolour, gouache and egg tempera; pastels; drawing and calligraphy; gilding and restoration materials; printmaking equipment; brushes; paper; and studio supplies. The assortment is weighted toward traditional, professional-grade and hard-to-find materials — including rare pigments, genuine gold and silver leaf, etching supplies, Japanese Mokuhanga woodblock kits, and Swiss-made Pfeil carving tools — that mainstream art supply chains typically do not stock.

The business serves four identifiable customer segments: professional artists and printmakers (primary); art restoration, conservation and gilding specialists; traditional arts practitioners (Mokuhanga, calligraphy, historical techniques); and student/hobbyist artists. Pricing is unit-based with items ranging from approximately £0.60 to £65, with gift vouchers offered in £50–£200 denominations. Revenue is generated through one-time transactions across three channels: walk-in retail at the London shop, online orders with international shipping via Royal Mail International and DHL, and phone/email orders for larger quantities and bespoke enquiries. The company has no proprietary technology platform, no mobile app, no disclosed AI capabilities, and operates as an apparently family-owned private business with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or leadership changes in the available record.

Name

cornelissen

Legal name

L. Cornelissen & Son

Website

https://cornelissen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1855

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cornelissen is a historic London art supplies retailer (est. 1855) selling over 1,500 specialist art materials for professional artists, printmakers, restoration specialists, and hobbyists via a single physical shop and global e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Supplies Retail

NAICS

Art Dealers (45992)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Art Materials Retail (Paint, Canvas, Drawing) (CRALACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA), Art & Drafting Supplies Retail (CRALABAG)

Keywords

• Fine art supplies
• Art materials retail
• Printmaking supplies
• Artist pigments
• Gilding materials

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales: The company generates revenue through direct sales of art supplies via physical retail store and e-commerce website. Products include pigments, printmaking supplies, brushes, canvas, papers, and specialist materials for artists. Sales are primarily one-time transactions with no subscription model.
2. Online Sales: E-commerce platform selling art supplies directly to consumers worldwide with shipping to UK and international destinations.
3. Phone and Email Orders: Orders can be placed via telephone and email, with sales team available to assist with large quantity purchases and provide advice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

L. Cornelissen & Son is a historic London art supplies retailer that sells over 1,500 artist-quality materials including pigments, oils, acrylics, canvas, watercolours, gouache, pastels, drawing and calligraphy supplies, brushes, paper, printmaking equipment, and gilding and restoration materials. The business operates from a Victorian-era shop near the British Museum and via an e-commerce website serving UK and international customers, supplying professional artists, printmakers, restoration specialists, traditional arts practitioners, and students.

Product overview

L. Cornelissen & Son is a historic London art supplies retailer established in 1855, offering a comprehensive catalog of over 1,500 professional art materials. The product portfolio centers on traditional fine art supplies organized into major categories: Pigments, Gums and Resins (including artists quality pigments organized by color); Oils, Acrylics and Mediums (professional and student grades); Canvas and Supports; Watercolour, Gouache and Egg Tempera; Pastels; Drawing and Calligraphy; Gilding and Restoration; Printmaking; Brushes; Paper; and Studio equipment. The printmaking section is particularly extensive, featuring Essdee Lino Blocks, Schmincke and Gamblin printing inks, Caligo Safe Wash inks, various lino and woodcut tool sets (Cornelissen, Lyons, Pfeil), Japanese woodblock sets, and raw materials. The company operates as a traditional brick-and-mortar shop with e-commerce capabilities, selling both own-brand and third-party professional art supplies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pigments, Gums and Resins Range of artists' quality pigments organised by colour family (blacks, blues, earths, greens, reds, violets, whites, yellows), together with gums, resins, fillers, chalks, limeproof pigments, and restoration materials, supplied to professional artists and conservators.
• Oils, Acrylics and Mediums Comprehensive range of oil colours, professional and student acrylics, linseed and cold-pressed oils, acrylic mediums, solvents, balsams, varnishes, metallic oil bars, and water-soluble oil colours for professional and student artists.
• Canvas and Supports Canvas supplies including primed and unprimed canvas, stretched canvas, stretcher pieces, gesso panels, parchment and vellum, primers and sealers, and canvas accessories.
• Watercolour, Gouache and Egg Tempera Watercolours, gouache, egg tempera, accessories, mediums, and sets for water-based painting techniques.
• Pastels Soft pastels, oil pastels, crayons, pastel sets, accessories, primers and fixatives for pastel artwork.
• Drawing and Calligraphy Supplies Drawing pencils, coloured pencils, charcoal, drawing pens and markers, fountain pens, automatic pens, brush pens, dip pens, nibs, holders, calligraphy inks, Chinese and Japanese inks, erasers, sharpeners, knives, and metalpoint tools.
• Gilding and Restoration Materials Gold, silver and metal leaf in Chinese, Italian, Japanese, platinum and palladium forms; bole, burnishers, gilding equipment, restoration adhesives, cleaning materials, restoration colours, varnishes and solvents for gilders and conservators.
• Printmaking Equipment and Supplies Complete printmaking supplies including etching presses, rollers, burnishers, etching plates, grounds, needles, scrapers, lithography materials, screen printing supplies, combination tools, lino blocks, relief printing inks, lino and woodcut tool sets, Japanese woodblock sets, and raw materials for printmaking.
• Brushes Wide range of brushes including sable and synthetic watercolour brushes, oil painting brushes, acrylic brushes (long and short handle), Chinese and Japanese brushes, fan brushes, lining and signwriting brushes, pastel brushes, varnish brushes, and brush sets and care products.
• Paper Extensive paper selection including watercolour papers, printmaking papers, cartridge papers, calligraphy papers, sketch pads, pastel papers, oil and acrylic papers, craft papers, handmade Khadi paper, inkjet media, and various pads and blocks.
• Studio Equipment and Books Studio equipment including easels (portable, studio, and table), portfolios, lay figures, leather accessories, empty receptacles, books, gifts, and gift vouchers.
• Gift Vouchers Virtual gift vouchers emailed immediately after purchase with a code, available in £50, £100, £150 and £200 denominations, valid for online or in-store use.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Jackson's Art Supplies: UK-based specialist art supplies retailer selling paints, printmaking materials, brushes, paper and canvas to professional and hobbyist artists. Closest direct peer to Cornelissen given overlapping product breadth, professional customer focus and UK base, though with a more digitally-led model.
• Cass Art: UK high-street art supplies chain with multiple locations offering own-brand and branded fine art materials, paper, brushes and printmaking supplies. Directly competes for the same professional and student artist segments Cornelissen serves, with broader physical footprint.
• Pegasus Art: Independent UK fine art materials retailer with deep catalog of specialist materials including printmaking, calligraphy and conservation supplies. Highly comparable specialist positioning and target audience to Cornelissen.
• Ken Bromley Art Supplies: UK online specialist art supplies retailer selling fine art paints, brushes, paper, printmaking materials and easels to professional artists. Comparable catalog breadth and online retail model to Cornelissen.
• Great Art: UK fine art and graphic art supplies retailer carrying brushes, paints, paper, printmaking, drawing and calligraphy supplies. Overlapping product range and target customer base with Cornelissen.
• Intaglio Printmaker: UK-based printmaking specialist selling etching presses, inks, paper, tools and chemicals to printmakers and conservators. Directly comparable in the printmaking niche that is a key specialty of Cornelissen.
• Hawthorn Printmaker Supplies: UK printmaking specialist retailer stocking presses, inks, paper, tools and consumables for relief and intaglio printmaking. Comparable specialist positioning within Cornelissen's printmaking niche.

Broad incumbents

• Dick Blick Art Materials: Large US-headquartered art supplies retailer carrying a comprehensive catalog of fine art, graphic, printmaking and craft materials with global shipping. Broader incumbent scale with comparable product categories but less specialist depth than Cornelissen.
• Hobbycraft: UK's largest specialist arts and crafts retail chain offering art materials, brushes, paints and paper alongside broader craft categories. Overlaps on art supplies at a more mass-market, hobbyist-oriented price point than Cornelissen.
• Colart (Winsor & Newton): Global manufacturer of fine art brands including Winsor & Newton, Liquitex and Lefranc Bourgeois, sold through art supply retailers including Cornelissen. A supplier and indirect peer operating upstream with vastly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about cornelissen