What Canson is known for
Canson makes drawing and watercolour papers as well as papers for pastel work. Its other applications include school work and photography. Its papermaking lineage dates to the Montgolfier mills in 1557, while the Canson name appeared in 1801. Montval and Mi-Teintes belong to a range in which the intended medium helps determine which paper to choose.
Canson's paper history reaches back to the Montgolfier papermakers in the Annonay area in 1557. The Canson name entered the business in 1801, when Barthélémy de Canson took over from his father-in-law Étienne de Montgolfier. These are different milestones: the older date describes the papermaking lineage, not the first use of the Canson name.
The range covers drawing and watercolour papers as well as papers for pastel and other techniques, along with school and photographic applications. Products such as Montval and Mi-Teintes serve different kinds of work, so the medium matters more than treating all sheets as interchangeable. The listed product families offer different surfaces and specifications, which need to be matched to the intended technique.
For a purchase, start with the technique you intend to use and compare the paper specified for it. A watercolour sheet and a coloured pastel paper answer different needs even when they share the same maker. Canson's historical account also describes tracing paper and photographic-paper developments, showing how the business has adapted to uses beyond a single art medium.
Best for — Drawing, watercolour and pastel papers
Canson fine-art papers identified by the manufacturer as made in France.
Where next
- Simpson Gallagher Gallery — United States
- Galerie Blanche — France
- Cung Đình Nguyễn – Không Gian Văn Hóa Lục Bộ — Vietnam
Hand-curated for ORBIS · no paid placement