Henri Robert
It embodies a demanding, artisanal perfumery, in tune with the times but true to its principles.
Henri Robert (1899-1987) was a French perfumer whose work, at the crossroads of tradition and modernity, left its mark on major houses such as Coty, and above all Chanel, where he succeeded Ernest Beaux.
The son of a perfumer, he made his debut at Coty between the wars, where he created several fragrances, including Muguet des Bois (1936), a luminous, natural tribute to the spring flower that has become a classic of the floral genre.
But it was at Chanel, from 1954 onwards, that he truly made history. He took up the legacy left by Beaux, creator of N°5, with respect and elegance, while infusing his own signature.
In 1955, he created Pour Monsieur, Chanel's first men's fragrance: an elegant, distinguished and discreet chypre that has become a benchmark. Then in 1970, he created N°19, a daring, green and powdery fragrance, carried by iris and galbanum - a tribute to Gabrielle Chanel's date of birth (August 19th), but also a fragrance of character, independent and structured, in the image of his muse.
Henri Robert worked with extreme precision, preferring sobriety to effect, structure to bluster.
Discreet and methodical, he embodied a craft perfumery that was demanding, in tune with the times but faithful to its principles.
With him goes a certain idea of the in-house perfumer, creator, chemist and confidant all rolled into one.
His work, though not abundant, remains of great finesse and has stood the test of time with a rare elegance.
