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L. Cornelissen & Son was founded by Louis Cornelissen, a lithographer from Belgium who had been living in Paris until moving to London in 1848 following a period of political unrest. Rumour has it that J.M.W. Turner himself recommended to his friend Louis that London would be a good location to ply his trade. He set up in Drury Lane, specialising in lithographic supplies, before moving to Great Queen Street in 1855. As the business evolved, and printing became less of a manual process, the Cornelissen family diversified their stock to include brushes, papers, paints, canvases and gilding materials. By 1881, he was firmly established as an artists' colourman, and in 1884 the business changed its name from Louis Cornelissen to L. Cornelissen & Son.

The business closed in 1977 at the death of Len Cornelissen, the last member of the family, and was reopened in 1979 by Nicholas Walt. We were incorporated as L. Cornelissen & Son, before moving to Great Russell Street in 1988, where Cornelissen’s remains to this day.

We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service, our extensive range of products, and our expertise in printmaking, painting, pigments and gilding. Please visit our friendly shop, or ring or email our office for any enquiries, and we will be more than happy to help you.