Jacques Guerlain
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Jacques Edouard Guerlain (; 7 October 1874 – 2 May 1963) was a French
perfumer A perfumer is an expert on creating perfume compositions, sometimes referred to affectionately as a ''nose'' () due to their fine sense of smell and skill in producing olfactory compositions. The perfumer is effectively an artist who is trained i ...
, the third and most famous of the
Guerlain Guerlain () is a French perfume, cosmetics, and skincare house which is among the oldest in the world. Many traditional Guerlain fragrances are characterized by a common olfactory accord known as the "". The house was founded in Paris in 1828 b ...
family. One of the most prolific and influential perfumers of the 20th century, over eighty of Guerlain's perfumes remain known, though certain estimates suggest he composed some four hundred. Among his greatest fragrances are ''L’Heure Bleue'' (1912), ''
Mitsouko Mitsouko is a perfume by French perfume and cosmetics house Guerlain, created by Jacques Guerlain and first introduced in 1919. Its name is derived from the French transliteration of a Japanese female personal name Mitsuko. It is a fruity c ...
'' (1919) and '' Shalimar'' (1925). Though his work earned him universal renown, a considerable fortune and honours such as that of
Chevalier of the Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
, Guerlain avoided public attention, never once granting an interview. As a result, relatively little is known of his creative process or personal life. Many of his major works are archived in their original form at the
Osmothèque The Osmothèque (from Greek ''osmē'' "scent" patterned on French ''bibliothèque'' "library") is the world's largest scent archive, a leading international research institution tracing the history of perfumery, based in Versailles with conferenc ...
, donated by
Thierry Wasser Thierry Wasser is a contemporary perfumer who as of 2008 was appointed as the in-house perfumer of Guerlain. Prior to this he worked under the fragrance firms Firmenich and Givaudan. After attaining his Federal Diploma of Botany at age twenty, W ...
on behalf of Guerlain in 2014.


Biography


Early life

Jacques Guerlain, the second child of Gabriel and Clarisse Guerlain, was born in 1874 in the family villa in
Colombes Colombes () is a Communes of France, commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France, from the Kilometre zero, centre of Paris. In 2019, Colombes was the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 53rd largest city in France. ...
. He was educated in England, in keeping with family tradition, and then in Paris at the École Monge where he studied history, English, German, Greek and Latin. His uncle, perfumer Aimé Guerlain, was childless, and thus trained Jacques from the age of sixteen as his apprentice and successor. In 1890 Jacques created his first perfume, ''Ambre''. He then interned in the
organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the science, scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic matter, organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain ...
laboratory of
Charles Friedel Charles Friedel (; 12 March 1832 – 20 April 1899) was a French chemist and Mineralogy, mineralogist. Life A native of Strasbourg, France, he was a student of Louis Pasteur at the University of Paris, Sorbonne. In 1876, he became a professor of ...
at the
University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...
, before being officially employed in the family business in 1894. He experimented widely in both cosmetics and fragrance, perfecting a method for perfuming ink while publishing with Justin Dupont on the subject of various essential oils. Meanwhile, he composed his earliest works such as ''Le Jardin de Mon Curé'' (1895). In 1897 he assumed joint ownership of his family's company, shared with his brother, Pierre, and father. For two years, Jacques and Pierre exchanged the responsibilities of manager and chief perfumer, until Jacques assumed the latter role in 1899. During this period, Jacques composed several perfumes, including ''Tsao Ko'' (1898), his first perfume to reference the
Orient The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term ''Occident'', which refers to the Western world. In English, it is largely a meto ...
, a dominant theme in his oeuvre.


Belle Époque to World War I

At the Exposition Universelle in 1900, Jacques Guerlain presented the leathery floral ''Voilà Pourquoi J'Aimais Rosine'' in tribute to
Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including by Alexandre Dumas fils, ...
(born Rosine Bernardt), a friend of the Guerlain family. The grimly named ''Fleur Qui Meurt'' (1901) was a novel experiment with
violet Violet may refer to: Common meanings * Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue * One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly: ** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants Places United States * Vi ...
(created in perfumery via synthesis), a common accord in Guerlain's oeuvre. This was followed by a pair, ''Voilette de Madame'' (1904) and ''Mouchoir de Monsieur'' (1904), the latter being one of Guerlain's few masculines and largely akin to his uncle's '' Jicky'' (1889). In 1905 Guerlain married Andrée Bouffet, a
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
from
Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...
, and did so according to Protestant law, thereby suffering
excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in Koinonia, communion with other members o ...
from the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. Their first child, Jean-Jacques, was born the following year, as Guerlain finished ''Après l'Ondée'' (1906), his first major commercial success. This perfume, translated as "''After the Rains''" and described at its release as "melancholy" by ''La Liberté'', was a continuation in Guerlain's experiments with notes of heliotrope and violet. Due to affordable synthetics, this accord was popular in mainstream perfumery, though Guerlain's treatment, incorporating anisic aldehyde,
eugenol Eugenol is an allyl chain-substituted guaiacol, a member of the allylbenzene class of chemical compounds. It is a colorless to pale yellow, aromatic oily liquid extracted from certain essential oils especially from clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, ...
and large quantities of
orris root Orris root (''Rhizoma iridis''; etymology possibly an alteration of ''iris (plant), iris'') is the root of ''Iris germanica'' and ''Iris pallida''. It had the common name of Queen Elizabeth Root. It is commonly used as a fixative (perfumery), fi ...
, was considered exemplary by many, including perfumer
Ernest Beaux Ernest Beaux (; – 9 June 1961) was a Russian-French perfumer who is best known for creating Chanel No. 5, which is perhaps the world's most famous perfume. Family background Born in Moscow, Ernest Beaux was the son of Edouard Hyppolite Beau ...
. ''Kadine'', released in 1911, referenced a concubine in a sultan's harem, another Oriental subject. Though Guerlain never visited Asia, his fascination with the East led him to collect Oriental art;
celadon Celadon () is a term for pottery denoting both wares ceramic glaze, glazed in the jade green Shades of green#Celadon, celadon color, also known as greenware or "green ware" (the term specialists now tend to use), and a type of transparent glaze, ...
and
Blanc de Chine Dehua porcelain (), more traditionally known in the West as Blanc de Chine (French for "White from China"), is a type of white Chinese porcelain, made at Dehua in the Fujian province. It has been produced from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) t ...
china featured in his ever-expanding collection decorating his apartment by the
Parc Monceau Parc Monceau (; English: Monceau Park) is a public park situated in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, at the junction of the Boulevard de Courcelles, Rue de Prony and Rue Georges Berger. At the main entrance is a rotunda. The park covers ...
at 22 Rue Murillo. An aesthete of diverse tastes, Guerlain purchased
Nevers faience The city of Nevers, Nièvre, now in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in central France, was a centre for manufacturing faience, or Tin-glazed pottery, tin-glazed earthenware pottery, between around 1580 and the early 19th c ...
, and from
Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
manufactories alongside furniture by
André Charles Boulle André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries, as well in Portugal ...
and Bernard II van Risamburgh (since acquired by the Louvre), paintings by
Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish Romanticism, romantic painter and Printmaking, printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hi ...
,
Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French Modernism, modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism (art movement), R ...
and
Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...
(including '' The Magpie'') and antique books. Guerlain's passion for
Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
and its distinctive
effets de soir ''Effets de soir'' (also called ''effets de soir et de matin'') are the effects of light caused by the sunset, twilight, or darkness of the early evening or matins. They appear frequently in works by such painters as Vincent van Gogh, Bernhard F ...
are thought to have influenced ''L’Heure Bleue'' (1912), meaning "''The Blue Hour''". An apt metaphor for
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
at the end of the
Belle Époque The Belle Époque () or La Belle Époque () was a period of French and European history that began after the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 and continued until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era of the Fr ...
and the beginning of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Guerlain's grandson and successor Jean-Paul Guerlain explains it thus: : :"''Jacques Guerlain once said that he had a premonition of the calamity that was about to happen. ‘I couldn’t put it in words,’ he told me. ‘I felt something so intense, I could only express it in a perfume." On the eve of the outbreak of World War I, Guerlain released ''Le Parfum des Champs-Elysées'' (1914), a chocolaty floral, to inaugurate the boutique at 68 Avenue des Champs-Élysées. It was sold in a turtle-shaped bottle allegedly referencing the boutique's tortoiselike architect,
Charles Mewès Charles-Frédéric Mewès (30 January 1858 – 9 August 1914) was a French architect and designer. Biography Born in Strasbourg, Alsace in 1858, Charles Frédéric Mewès grew up a Parisian after his family fled the Prussian invasion and annex ...
. Jacques Guerlain was soon after
mobilized Mobilization (alternatively spelled as mobilisation) is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the ...
. By then, he was forty-one and the father of three children. While serving he sustained an injury to the head, leaving him blind in one eye, and so returned home. Unable to drive, his wife drove for him. Unable to ride, he abandoned the hunt, instead watching horses from his box at the racetrack. His weekends were spent with his family and dogs on his parents’ estate, the Vallée Coterel, a
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...
Revival-style compound in Les Mesnuls. There in 1916 his mother, Clarisse, died at the age of 68. Guerlain released one perfume during the war, ''Jasmiralda'', a woody jasmine referencing the
heroine A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...
of
Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (; born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa; 11 March 1818) was a French and Russian ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. He is considered one of the most influential ballet masters and choreographers in ballet history ...
's '' La Esmeralda''.


Interwar period: Exoticism

Jacques Guerlain's ''
Mitsouko Mitsouko is a perfume by French perfume and cosmetics house Guerlain, created by Jacques Guerlain and first introduced in 1919. Its name is derived from the French transliteration of a Japanese female personal name Mitsuko. It is a fruity c ...
'', released in 1919, was the result of several hundred trials with
oakmoss ''Oakmoss'' (scientific name ''Evernia prunastri'') is a species of lichen A lichen ( , ) is a hybrid colony (biology), colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among hypha, filaments of multiple fungus species, along with yea ...
and the peach-smelling gamma-undecalactone. Named after the heroine of
Claude Farrère Claude Farrère (), pseudonym of Frédéric-Charles Bargone (; 27 April 1876, in Lyon – 21 June 1957, in Paris), was a French Navy officer and writer. Many of his novels are based in exotic locations such as Istanbul, Saigon, or Nagasaki. On ...
’s novel ''La Bataille'' (1909), the perfume conveys Guerlain’s considerable
Japanophilia Japanophilia is a strong interest in Japanese culture, people, and history. In Japanese, the term for Japanophile is , with "" equivalent to the English prefix 'pro-' and "", meaning "Japan" (as in the word for Japan ). The term was first used ...
, inspired by accounts such as Farrère’s of Japanese supremacy during the
Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...
. : :"''My grandfather would often tell me the story of how the might of
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
had collapsed,''" Jean-Paul Guerlain recalled. "''To everyone’s surprise, the Japanese crushed – they didn’t just defeat, they crushed – the Russian fleet. The Japanese navy had been created by the British, and most of my compatriots saw
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
as the new
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
.''" ''Mitsouko'', an imposing
chypre Chypre () is the name of a family (or ''concept'') of perfumes that are characterised by an accord composed of citrus top note (perfumery), notes, a middle centered on labdanum, cistus labdanum, and a mossy-animalic set of basenotes derived from oa ...
, has also been interpreted as representing the new post-war woman, contrasted against her pre-war past as rendered in ''L’Heure Bleue'', an essentially soft, ambery floral. In 1925 Jacques Guerlain presented his magnum opus, '' Shalimar'', at the
International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts The International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts () was a specialized exhibition held in Paris, France, from April 29 (the day after it was inaugurated in a private ceremony by the President of France) to November 8, 1925 (O ...
, of which Pierre Guerlain was vice president. The perfume paid tribute to the eponymous
Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...
gardens A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...
and was the culmination of four years’ work. Guerlain was fifty years old. Shalimar would become the archetypal ‘oriental’ of perfumery, remaining the house's bestseller well into the 21st century. In the words of perfumer Bernard Bourgeois, "''Who does not know the troubling sillage of Shalimar?''" Guerlain continued to push boundaries, the following year releasing ''Djédi'' (1926), referencing the magician of the
Westcar Papyrus The Westcar Papyrus (inventory-designation: ''P. Berlin 3033'') is an ancient Egyptian text containing five stories about miracles performed by priests and magicians. In the papyrus text, each of these tales are told at the royal court of King ...
, a stylistic anomaly in Guerlain's oeuvre in that it is unusually severe. ''Liú'' (1929), named after the Tartar slave girl of
Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long line of composers, s ...
’s opera ''
Turandot ''Turandot'' ( ; see #Origin and pronunciation of the name, below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Puccini left the opera unfinished at the time of his death in 1924; it ...
'', reflected Guerlain's admiration for the composer, and was his first aldehydic floral. In 1932 Guerlain became a member of the audit committee of the
Bank of France The Bank of France ( ) is the national central bank for France within the Eurosystem. It was the French central bank between 1800 and 1998, issuing the French franc. It does not translate its name to English, and thus calls itself ''Banque de F ...
and would remain with the bank as either a member or advisor for the next twenty years. In 1933 Guerlain created ''Vol de Nuit'', a work of a rather sombre maturity. The perfume took its name from the novel '' Night Flight'' (Vol de nuit in French language) (1931) by
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, vicomte de Saint-Exupéry (29 June 1900 – 31 July 1944), known simply as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (, , ), was a French writer, poet, journalist and aviator. Born in Lyon to an French nobility, aristocratic ...
(a personal friend of Guerlain's), based upon the author's experience at the Aeroposta Argentina. That year, Jacques Guerlain's father, Gabriel, by whose side he had long worked, died at the age of 92 in Les Mesnuls. Guerlain inherited the country estate and his father's
stud Stud may refer to: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco * ...
, the Haras de la Reboursière et de Montaigu in Nonant-le-Pin. In the years following appeared ''Sous le Vent'' (1934), referencing the
Leeward Islands The Leeward Islands () are a group of islands situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. Starting with the Virgin Islands east of Puerto Rico, they extend southeast to Guadeloupe and its dependencies. In Engl ...
and created for
Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker (; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American and French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to s ...
, followed by ''Coque d’Or'' (1937), inspired by
Diaghilev Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev ( ; rus, Серге́й Па́влович Дя́гилев, , sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪdʑ ˈdʲæɡʲɪlʲɪf; 19 August 1929), also known as Serge Diaghilev, was a Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario a ...
’s staging of
Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. At the time, his name was spelled , which he romanized as Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakow; the BGN/PCGN transliteration of Russian is used for his name here; ALA-LC system: , ISO 9 system: .. (18 March 1844 – 2 ...
’s ''
The Golden Cockerel ''The Golden Cockerel'' ( ) is an opera in three acts, with a short prologue and an even shorter epilogue, composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, his last complete opera, before his death in 1908. Its libretto written by Vladimir Belsky, is derive ...
'', set in the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...
.


World War II and final years

At the outbreak of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Jacques Guerlain’s youngest son, Pierre, then 21 years old, was
mobilized Mobilization (alternatively spelled as mobilisation) is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the ...
and fatally wounded in
Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
along the River Oise. Guerlain was devastated and ceased creating for two years, also abandoning his
stud Stud may refer to: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco * ...
in
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
. At his estate in Les Mesnuls, he cultivated fruits and vegetables that he sent to his factory workers. In 1942 Guerlain returned with the perfume ''Kriss'', named after an Indonesian dagger. The company’s factory in Bécon-les-Bruyères was destroyed by bombing the following year. Then, as the war drew to a close, Guerlain’s situation worsened when rumours spread of his apparent
collaboration Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. The ...
, all essentially unfounded. Guerlain fell into a deep depression. He re-released ''Kriss'' in 1945, renamed ''Dawamesk'' after a preparation of
hashish Hashish (; ), usually abbreviated as hash, is a Compression (physics), compressed form of resin (trichomes) derived from the cannabis flowers. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Lisbon, As a Psychoactive drug, psychoactive ...
. He continued to work during the last eighteen years of his life, though created little. Increasingly he retreated to his estate in Les Mesnuls, attending to his flowerbeds, orchards and
Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desig ...
. His final creations include ''Fleur de Feu'' (1948), a cool aldehydic, and, four years later, the unusually coarse ''Atuana'' (a variant spelling of
Atuona Atuona, located on Atuona Bay on the southern side of Hiva Oa island, French Polynesia, is the administrative centre of the Communes of France, commune (municipality) of Hiva-Oa. Atuona was the capital of all the Marquesas Islands but it has been ...
), named after the last resting place of painter
Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He was also an influ ...
. ''Ode'' (1955), Guerlain’s swan song created with his grandson and successor Jean-Paul Guerlain, is a conventional floral in tribute to his gardens, though it bears a resemblance to Henri Alméras’ ''Joy'' (1930). In 1956 Guerlain reluctantly agreed to be photographed in his laboratory and country home by
Willy Ronis Willy Ronis (; 14 August 191012 September 2009) was a French photographer. His best-known work shows life in post-war Paris and Provence. Life and work Ronis was born in Paris to Jewish immigrants. His father, Emmanuel Ronis, was from Odessa, a ...
for a special in ''Air France Revue''. These photographs, taken at the end of Guerlain's career, offer a rare insight into his professional and personal life. It was when working with his grandson on ''Chant d'Arômes'', released in 1962, that Jacques Guerlain found himself incapacitated. "''Unfortunately,''" he told his successor, "''I create nothing more than perfumes for old ladies.''" Weakened by a fall that fractured his femur, Jacques Guerlain died in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
on 2 May 1963 at the age of 88. Though he was not a practising Catholic, his funeral was held at the Church of Saint-Philippe-du-Roule two days later. He was buried alongside his son, Pierre, and father in the
Passy Cemetery Passy Cemetery () is a small cemetery in Passy, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The current cemetery replaced the old cemetery (''l'ancien cimetière communal de Passy'', located on Rue Lekain), which was closed in 1802. ...
.


Influences

:"''Part of the presiding genius of Guerlain,''" wrote critic
Luca Turin Luca Turin (born 20 November 1953) is a biophysicist and writer with a long-standing interest in bioelectronics, the sense of smell, perfumery, and the fragrance industry. Early life and education Turin was born in Beirut, Lebanon on 20 November ...
, "''even when at isleast inventive, has always been to reinterpret the fashionable and do it slightly better. Jacques Guerlain famously followed up every one of
François Coty François Coty (; born Joseph Marie François Spoturno ; 3 May 1874 – 25 July 1934) was a French perfumer, businessman, newspaper publisher, politician and patron of the arts. He was the founder of the Coty, Coty perfume company, today a multin ...
’s great inventions with another in his own manner.''" Specifically, Coty's ''L’Origan'' (1905) is often cited as the basis for Guerlain's ''L’Heure Bleue'' (1912), ''Chypre'' (1917) for ''
Mitsouko Mitsouko is a perfume by French perfume and cosmetics house Guerlain, created by Jacques Guerlain and first introduced in 1919. Its name is derived from the French transliteration of a Japanese female personal name Mitsuko. It is a fruity c ...
'' (1919) and ''Émeraude'' (1921) for '' Shalimar'' (1925); Guerlain likely admired Coty (his exact contemporary), especially for his use of novel absolutes, synthetics and bases. Elsewhere, ''Ode'' (1955) bears a resemblance to Henri Alméras’ ''Joy'' (1930), and ''Liú'' (1929) to
Ernest Beaux Ernest Beaux (; – 9 June 1961) was a Russian-French perfumer who is best known for creating Chanel No. 5, which is perhaps the world's most famous perfume. Family background Born in Moscow, Ernest Beaux was the son of Edouard Hyppolite Beau ...
’s ''
Chanel No. 5 Chanel No. 5 is the first perfume launched by French couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in 1921. The scent formula for the fragrance was compounded by French-Russian chemist and perfumer Ernest Beaux. The design of its bottle has been an imp ...
'' (1921). Guerlain and Beaux respected one another mutually; referencing ''Shalimar'', Beaux confided to his apprentice, Omer Arif: : :"''With the ton of
vanillin Vanillin is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a phenolic aldehyde. Its functional groups include aldehyde, hydroxyl, and ether. It is the primary component of the ethanolic extract of the vanilla bean. Synthetic vanillin ...
there is in there, we could have barely made a sorbet. Guerlain, he, made a marvel!''" Guerlain greatly admired
Paul Parquet Paul Parquet (1856–1916) was a French perfumer and joint owner of Houbigant. Called the "greatest perfumer of his time" by Ernest Beaux, he is widely regarded as the founder of modern perfumery for having pioneered the use of synthetics in work ...
, whose influence at the time of Guerlain's debut was ubiquitous. Guerlain’s son, Jean-Jacques Guerlain, wrote: : :"''There was also Mr. Parquet, creator of'' Le Parfum Idéal ''and proprietor of the house of Houbigant in my parents’ youth, whom they respected greatly.''" As to further influences, Guerlain was an avid devotee of the arts, lending his patronage to the Society of the Friends of the
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
. He admired many artists whose work he collected:
Antoine-Louis Barye Antoine-Louis Barye (; 24 September 179525 June 1875) was a Romantic French sculptor most famous for his work as an ''animalier'', a sculptor of animals. His son and student was the sculptor Alfred Barye. Biography Born in Paris, France, Barye ...
,
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot ( , , ; 16 July 1796 – 22 February 1875), or simply Camille Corot, was a French Landscape art, landscape and Portraitist, portrait painter as well as a printmaking, printmaker in etching. A pivotal figure in ...
,
Henri Fantin-Latour Henri Fantin-Latour (; 14 January 1836 – 25 August 1904) was a French painter and lithographer best known for his flower paintings and group portraits of Parisian artists and writers. Early life Born in Grenoble, Isère, Ignace Henri Jean Th ...
,
Jean-Honoré Fragonard Jean-Honoré Fragonard (; 5 April 1732 (birth/baptism certificate) – 22 August 1806) was a French painter and printmaker whose late Rococo manner was distinguished by remarkable facility, exuberance, and hedonism. One of the most prolific art ...
,
Thomas Gainsborough Thomas Gainsborough (; 14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists o ...
,
Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish Romanticism, romantic painter and Printmaking, printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hi ...
,
Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French Modernism, modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism (art movement), R ...
,
Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...
,
Hubert Robert Hubert Robert (; 22 May 1733 – 15 April 1808) was a French painter in the school of Romanticism, noted especially for his landscape paintings and capricci, or semi-fictitious picturesque depictions of ruins in Italy and of France.Jean de Cayeux ...
,
Alfred Sisley Alfred Sisley (; ; 30 October 1839 – 29 January 1899) was an Impressionist landscape painter who was born and spent most of his life in France, but retained British citizenship. He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedic ...
,
David Teniers the Younger David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II (bapt. 15 December 1610 – 25 April 1690) was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, draughtsman, miniaturist painter, staffage painter, copyist and art curator. He was an extremely versatile artist ...
and
Édouard Vuillard Jean-Édouard Vuillard (; 11 November 186821 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist, and printmaker. From 1891 through 1900, Vuillard was a member of the avant garde artistic group Les Nabis, creating paintings that assembled areas ...
, among others.
Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He was also an influ ...
is referenced in his work, as are authors
Claude Farrère Claude Farrère (), pseudonym of Frédéric-Charles Bargone (; 27 April 1876, in Lyon – 21 June 1957, in Paris), was a French Navy officer and writer. Many of his novels are based in exotic locations such as Istanbul, Saigon, or Nagasaki. On ...
and
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, vicomte de Saint-Exupéry (29 June 1900 – 31 July 1944), known simply as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (, , ), was a French writer, poet, journalist and aviator. Born in Lyon to an French nobility, aristocratic ...
, composers
Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for List of compositions by Giacomo Puccini#Operas, his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he ...
and
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. At the time, his name was spelled , which he romanized as Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakow; the BGN/PCGN transliteration of Russian is used for his name here; ALA-LC system: , ISO 9 system: .. (18 March 1844 – 2 ...
and various celebrities including
Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker (; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American and French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to s ...
,
Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including by Alexandre Dumas fils, ...
,
Sergei Diaghilev Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev ( ; rus, Серге́й Па́влович Дя́гилев, , sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪdʑ ˈdʲæɡʲɪlʲɪf; 19 August 1929), also known as Serge Diaghilev, was a Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario an ...
and
Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (; born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa; 11 March 1818) was a French and Russian ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. He is considered one of the most influential ballet masters and choreographers in ballet history ...
. He was a devoted reader of crime fiction, though this is not reflected in the naming of his perfumes. Reclusive by nature, Guerlain maintained relations with few of his confreres. Contrary to many of his contemporaries, such as Beaux and Vincent Roubert, Guerlain was "''the opposite of a socialite''", to quote Jean-Jacques Guerlain. He did, however, enjoy a friendship with perfumer
Jacques Rouché Jacques Louis Eugène Rouché (16 November 1862, Lunel - 9 November 1957, Paris) was a French art and music patron. He was the owner of the journal ''La Grande Revue'' and manager of the Théâtre des Arts and the Paris Opera. Biography He wa ...
, a neighbor with whom Guerlain shared a passion for the performing arts. Together they contributed to a lobby group protecting the interests of the fragrance industry, holding meetings at Guerlain’s offices on the
Champs Élysées Champs may refer to: Music * The Champs, a U.S. instrumental music group * Champs (Brazilian band), a Brazilian boy band * Champs (British band), a British folk- and indie rock-influenced band * The Fucking Champs, a U.S. progressive heavy met ...
.


Palette and creative process

Described as a "''virtual pastry chef''" by critic
Luca Turin Luca Turin (born 20 November 1953) is a biophysicist and writer with a long-standing interest in bioelectronics, the sense of smell, perfumery, and the fragrance industry. Early life and education Turin was born in Beirut, Lebanon on 20 November ...
, Guerlain favoured a rich, sweetish palette developed from that of his uncle and predecessor, Aimé Guerlain, building upon the latter’s ambery, herbal signature accord, termed 'Guerlinade'. Turin continues: : :"'' Guerlain never starts with a blank sheet of paper, but with a blurred filigree of everything they ever built. Then they stretch it this way and that, removing old and adding new features as taste evolves, before bringing it all into soft focus.''" Certain materials are ubiquitous in Guerlain’s work: high quality citruses ( bergamot,
citron The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick Peel (fruit), rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the Citrus taxonomy#Citrons, original citrus fruits from which al ...
,
mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
,
sweet Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones, ...
and
bitter orange The bitter orange, sour orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the hybrid citrus tree species ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'', and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of th ...
),
coumarin Coumarin () or 2''H''-chromen-2-one is an aromatic organic chemical compound with formula . Its molecule can be described as a benzene molecule with two adjacent hydrogen atoms replaced by an unsaturated lactone ring , forming a second six-me ...
, floral absolutes ( cassie,
jasmine Jasmine (botanical name: ''Jasminum'', pronounced ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are wid ...
,
rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...
,
orange blossom The orange blossom is the fragrant flower of the orange (fruit), ''Citrus sinensis'' (orange tree). It is used in perfume making and has been written about as an aphrodisiac. Orange blossom Essential oil, essence is an important component in ...
), green notes (
galbanum Galbanum is an aromatic gum resin and a product of certain umbelliferous Persian plant species in the genus '' Ferula'', chiefly '' Ferula gummosa'' (synonym ''F. galbaniflua'') and '' Ferula rubricaulis''. Galbanum-yielding plants grow plentif ...
), violet-smelling
ionones The ionones, from greek ἴον ion "violet", are a series of closely related chemical substances that are part of a group of compounds known as rose ketones, which also includes damascones and damascenones. Ionones are aroma compounds found in ...
and fine qualities of orris,
vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia''). ''Vanilla'' is not Autogamy, autogamous, so pollination ...
and
ylang-ylang ''Cananga odorata'', known as ylang-ylang ( ) or cananga tree, is a tropical tree that is native to the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Queensland, Australia. It is also native to parts of Thailand and Vie ...
. He had a fondness for aromatic
spices In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
(
cardamom Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genus (biology), genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indon ...
,
cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...
,
cloves Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or fragrance in consumer products, ...
, croton,
nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus '' Myristica''; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg ('' M. fragrans'') is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fru ...
) and certain
herbes de Provence (; , ) is a mixture of dried herbs considered typical of the Provence region of southeastern France. Formerly simply a descriptive term, commercial blends started to be sold under this name in the 1970s. These blends often contain savory, mar ...
(
absinthe Absinthe (, ) is an anise-flavored Liquor, spirit derived from several plants, including the flowers and leaves of ''Artemisia absinthium'' ("grand wormwood"), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. His ...
,
angelica ''Angelica'' is a genus of about 90 species of tall Biennial plant, biennial and Perennial plant, perennial herbaceous, herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far north as ...
,
basil Basil (, ; , ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' (, )), also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a hardiness (plants), tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" r ...
,
bay leaf The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used as a herb in cooking. It can be used whole, either dried or fresh, in which case it is removed from the dish before consumption, or less commonly used in ground form. The flavour that a bay lea ...
,
caraway Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin (''Carum carvi''), is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Etymology The etymology of "caraway" is unclear. Caraway has been ...
,
coriander Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual plant, annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the ...
,
cumin Cumin (, ; ; ''Cuminum cyminum'') is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to the Irano-Turanian Region. Its seeds – each one contained within a fruit, which is dried – are used in the cuisines of many cultures in both whole ...
,
tarragon Tarragon (''Artemisia dracunculus''), also known as estragon, is a species of perennial herbaceous plant, herb in the family Asteraceae. It is widespread in the wild across much of Eurasia and North America and is cultivated for culinary and medic ...
). He was a specialist on aromatic resins ( benzoin,
labdanum Labdanum, also called ladanum, ladan, or ladanon, is a sticky brown resin obtained from the shrubs ''Gum rockrose, Cistus ladanifer'' (western Mediterranean) and ''Cistus creticus'' (eastern Mediterranean), species of rockrose. It was historicall ...
); indeed he used opoponax in most of his formulae, sometimes in mere trace quantities - imperceptible in and of itself though lending to the overall texture of the perfume. His base notes often consisted of strong artificial musks ( musk ketone, musk ambrette, musk xylene), which he favored greatly. As to
ambergris Ambergris ( or ; ; ), ''ambergrease'', or grey amber is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish colour produced in the digestive system of sperm whales. Freshly produced ambergris has a marine, fecal odor. It acquires a sw ...
, according to a supplier, Guerlain would say, "''You sell this product at a shameful price; it smells of almost nothing, but my clients stop liking my perfumes when I put none in.''" Like
François Coty François Coty (; born Joseph Marie François Spoturno ; 3 May 1874 – 25 July 1934) was a French perfumer, businessman, newspaper publisher, politician and patron of the arts. He was the founder of the Coty, Coty perfume company, today a multin ...
and Ernest Daltroff, Guerlain frequently incorporated bases produced by M. Naef and the Fabriques de Laire, especially the latter's ''Mousse de Saxe'' to create a distinctive leather accord. He was also a friend of Louis Amic and Justin Dupont, both at Roure-Bertrand with whom he signed an exclusivity agreement for certain novel molecules used in '' Shalimar''. Guerlain’s technique of balancing synthetics with rich naturals is considered exemplary; in the words of perfumer Ernest Shiftan, Guerlain’s work is "''the greatest example of the blending of aroma chemicals with natural products.''" As an independent perfumer, Guerlain enjoyed total creative freedom. : :"''Jacques Guerlain worked like a portrait painter at his easel,''" wrote Jean-Paul Guerlain, "''and when the creation was finished, he chose a bottle – as a painter would choose a frame – and he put the new perfume on sale in the boutique without any further ado.''" Guerlain worked in two laboratories, the first in Bécon-les-Bruyères and complete with gardens, destroyed by bombing in 1943, and the second in
Courbevoie Courbevoie () is a Communes of France, commune located in the Hauts-de-Seine department of the Île-de-France region of France. It is a suburb of Paris, from the Kilometre zero, center of Paris. The centre of Courbevoie is situated from the ci ...
, built in 1947. There Guerlain created in private; only his assistant, who carried heavy loads, was permitted entry. Self-critical and perfectionistic, he worked slowly and intermittently on each perfume, perfecting several at once over the course of time. Through much of his career, he measured his ingredients according to volume, weighing only solid materials. When creating he smelled little, instead preferring to take home all manner of trials to be considered later. His perfumed smelling strips he would arrange atop the mantelpiece in the sitting room, noting their evolution throughout the day. His creative process varied greatly according to the work in question; certain of his formulae are relatively short, including that of ''
Mitsouko Mitsouko is a perfume by French perfume and cosmetics house Guerlain, created by Jacques Guerlain and first introduced in 1919. Its name is derived from the French transliteration of a Japanese female personal name Mitsuko. It is a fruity c ...
'' (1919) which lists a mere twelve materials. Others are more elaborate, sometimes incorporating previous perfumes (termed ''formules à tiroir''); ''Cuir de Russie'' (1935) includes among its ingredients ''Chypre de Paris'' (1909) and ''Mitsouko''. While generally methodical, Guerlain could sometimes prove impulsive; a popular rumour suggests that he emptied a sample of
ethylvanillin Ethylvanillin is the organic compound with the chemical formula, formula (C2H5O)(HO)C6H3CHO. This colorless solid consists of a benzene ring with hydroxyl, ethoxy, and aldehyde, formyl groups on the 4, 3, and 1 positions, respectively. It is a Hom ...
, provided by Justin Dupont, into a flask of his uncle's '' Jicky'' (1889), thereby striking upon the initial concept for ''Shalimar''. Guerlain's faithful muse, it is said, was his wife, Andrée, affectionately nicknamed Lili. : :"''Remember one thing,''" Guerlain told his grandson, Jean-Paul Guerlain. "''One always creates perfumes for the woman with whom one lives and whom one loves.''" Guerlain spoke little of his work and creative process; indeed he was painfully taciturn. When pressed for words of wisdom, Guerlain was known to reply simply: : :"''Perfumery? It’s a matter of patience and time.''"


Legacy

:"''Jacques Guerlain emblematised taste, refinement, education, ambiance and a love of dogs and horses,''" wrote Guy Robert, former president of the French Society of Perfumers. In contrast to
François Coty François Coty (; born Joseph Marie François Spoturno ; 3 May 1874 – 25 July 1934) was a French perfumer, businessman, newspaper publisher, politician and patron of the arts. He was the founder of the Coty, Coty perfume company, today a multin ...
, Ernest Daltroff or
Paul Parquet Paul Parquet (1856–1916) was a French perfumer and joint owner of Houbigant. Called the "greatest perfumer of his time" by Ernest Beaux, he is widely regarded as the founder of modern perfumery for having pioneered the use of synthetics in work ...
, autodidactic perfumers who revolutionised early 20th century perfumery, Jacques Guerlain distinguished himself by his shrewd discernment and wary conventionalism, no doubt informed by the weight of family heritage. Marcel Billot, founding president of the French Society of Perfumers, aptly described Guerlain as "''a genius who knew to be of his time while living nonetheless in keeping with tradition.''" For a modern generation, several of Guerlain's perfumes have become models of their genre; '' Shalimar'' (1925), though not the first oriental, is generally cited as the archetype. ''
Mitsouko Mitsouko is a perfume by French perfume and cosmetics house Guerlain, created by Jacques Guerlain and first introduced in 1919. Its name is derived from the French transliteration of a Japanese female personal name Mitsuko. It is a fruity c ...
'' (1919), according to perfumer
Bertrand Duchaufour Bertrand Duchaufour () is a French perfumer. He has had a prolific career, beginning in Grasse at Lautier Florasynth and continuing for a number of fragragrance firms as well as working independently and as the house perfumer for L'Artisan Parfumeu ...
, is considered a reference
chypre Chypre () is the name of a family (or ''concept'') of perfumes that are characterised by an accord composed of citrus top note (perfumery), notes, a middle centered on labdanum, cistus labdanum, and a mossy-animalic set of basenotes derived from oa ...
, somewhat inaccurately in that its inclusion of the peach-smelling gamma-undecalactone distinguishes it as a fruity chypre. This confusion is often due to the disappearance of the original model, in the latter's case Coty's ''Chypre'' (1917), discontinued in the 1960s. Guerlain, though never much of a pioneer, was not without his innovations. Throughout the 1930s, his use of green notes, such as
galbanum Galbanum is an aromatic gum resin and a product of certain umbelliferous Persian plant species in the genus '' Ferula'', chiefly '' Ferula gummosa'' (synonym ''F. galbaniflua'') and '' Ferula rubricaulis''. Galbanum-yielding plants grow plentif ...
, was extremely novel for the period. In this sense, perfumes such as ''Vol de Nuit'' (1933) and ''Sous le Vent'' (1933) may be considered precursory of bolder works including Paul Vacher’s ''Miss Dior'' (1947). Among the many perfumes composed by Guerlain, it is perhaps natural that some are easily mistakable; these are frequently subtle variations of the house's signature 'Guerlinade' rapidly devised for a specific event or celebrity. Yet Guerlain's best creations, often improvements upon the work of his contemporaries, are considered unmistakable, even from the model by which they were inspired, unique in their refinement, structure and diffusion. René Bacharach describes a lesson learned when visiting the Guerlain factory as a young perfumer; upon presenting one of his best perfumes to Jean-Pierre Guerlain, the latter politely agreed to ask the opinion of his uncle, Jacques Guerlain: : :"'' ean-Pierre Guerlainreturned moments later,''" Bacharach writes, "''saying, 'I don’t know if I should repeat my uncle's words. I warned you he's severe.' I begged him to reveal an opinion that interested me greatly.'' :"''I have never had the honour of meeting Jacques Guerlain in person, but he taught me that day, without knowing it, the best of lessons, when Jean-Pierre Guerlain added, 'My uncle said, "It doesn’t smell.""Bacharach, René. "Une heure avec Guerlain." Industrie de la Parfumerie Sept. 1948: 292. Print.


Selected works


Perfumes

* ''Ambre'' (1890) * ''Le Jardin de Mon Curé'' (1895) * ''À Travers Champs'' (1898) * ''Tsao Ko'' (1898) * ''Dix Pétales de Rose'' (1899) * ''Voilà Pourquoi J'Aimais Rosine'' (1900)* * ''Fleur Qui Meurt'' (1901)* * ''Bon Vieux Temps'' (1902) * ''Mouchoir de Monsieur'' (1904)* * ''Voilette de Madame'' (1904)* * ''Aï Loë'' (1905) * ''Après l'Ondée'' (1906)* * ''Sillage'' (1907)* * ''Muguet'' (1908)* * ''Chypre de Paris'' (1909) * ''Quand Vient l'Été'' (1910) * ''Kadine'' (1911) * ''Pour Troubler'' (1911) * ''Fol Arôme'' (1912) * ''L'Heure Bleue'' (1912) * ''Vague Souvenir'' (1912) * ''Mi-Mai'' (1914) * ''Le Parfum des Champs-Elysées'' (1914)* * ''Jasmiralda'' (1917)* * ''
Mitsouko Mitsouko is a perfume by French perfume and cosmetics house Guerlain, created by Jacques Guerlain and first introduced in 1919. Its name is derived from the French transliteration of a Japanese female personal name Mitsuko. It is a fruity c ...
'' (1919)* * ''Eau de Fleurs de Cédrat'' (1920) * ''Bouquet de Faunes'' (1922)* * ''Candide Effluve'' (1922)* * ''Guerlinade'' (1924)* * ''Jasmin'' (1924) * '' Shalimar'' (1925)* * ''Djédi'' (1926)* * ''Liú'' (1929) * ''Vol de Nuit'' (1933) * ''Sous le Vent'' (1934)* * ''Cuir de Russie'' (1935)* * ''Véga'' (1936)* * ''Cachet Jaune'' (1937)* * ''Coque d'Or'' (1937)* * ''Kriss'' (1942) * ''Fleur de Feu'' (1948)* * ''Atuana'' (1952)* * ''Chypre 53'' (1953) * ''Ode'' (1955) * ''Chant d'Arômes'' (with Jean-Paul Guerlain, 1962) ''(*) indicates inclusion in the archives of the
Osmothèque The Osmothèque (from Greek ''osmē'' "scent" patterned on French ''bibliothèque'' "library") is the world's largest scent archive, a leading international research institution tracing the history of perfumery, based in Versailles with conferenc ...
''


Scientific essays

* ''French Oil of Roses'' (with Justin Dupont) – ''
Journal of the Chemical Society The ''Journal of the Chemical Society'' was a scientific journal established by the Chemical Society in 1849 as the ''Quarterly Journal of the Chemical Society''. The first editor was Edmund Ronalds. The journal underwent several renamings, split ...
'' (1897) * ''Oil of Basil'' (with Justin Dupont) – ''Journal of the Chemical Society'' (1898)


See also

*
Guerlain Guerlain () is a French perfume, cosmetics, and skincare house which is among the oldest in the world. Many traditional Guerlain fragrances are characterized by a common olfactory accord known as the "". The house was founded in Paris in 1828 b ...
* Aimé Guerlain * Jean-Paul Guerlain * Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain *
Mitsouko (perfume) Mitsouko is a perfume by French perfume and cosmetics house Guerlain, created by Jacques Guerlain and first introduced in 1919. Its name is derived from the French transliteration of a Women in Japan, Japanese female personal name Mitsuko. It i ...
*
Osmothèque The Osmothèque (from Greek ''osmē'' "scent" patterned on French ''bibliothèque'' "library") is the world's largest scent archive, a leading international research institution tracing the history of perfumery, based in Versailles with conferenc ...
*
Perfume Perfume (, ) is a mixture of fragrance, fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), Fixative (perfumery), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agre ...
*
Perfumer A perfumer is an expert on creating perfume compositions, sometimes referred to affectionately as a ''nose'' () due to their fine sense of smell and skill in producing olfactory compositions. The perfumer is effectively an artist who is trained i ...
* Shalimar (perfume)


References


External links


Guerlain - Official Website


* ttp://boisdejasmin.com/2014/04/perfumers-on-perfume-jacques-guerlain.html ''Perfumers on Perfume: Jacques Guerlain'' – Bois de Jasmin {{DEFAULTSORT:Guerlain, Jacques 1874 births 1963 deaths Burials at Passy Cemetery Knights of the Legion of Honour French art collectors French military personnel of World War I French racehorse owners and breeders People from Colombes French perfumers University of Paris alumni Sportspeople from Hauts-de-Seine