Perfumes by Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain published on Osmetheca

The perfumer

Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain (1798-1864) is the founder of the house of Guerlain, which he opened in 1828 at 42 rue de Rivoli in Paris, France. Born in Abbeville, Somme, he trained his nose in London before settling in Paris and launching a boutique combining bespoke perfumes, soaps and cosmetics (sources: Cimetière de Passy, L'Atelier Parfum, Parfumerie Burdin).

His most thoroughly documented composition is the Eau de Cologne Impériale, composed in 1853 for Empress Eugénie de Montijo and Emperor Napoleon III, which earned him the title of Perfumer to Her Majesty the Empress. The founder's catalogue, recorded by the house chronicles and historical sources, also lists a series of eaux and bouquets dated 1828 to 1863, none of which currently has a dedicated entry on Osmetheca.

On Osmetheca, Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain is currently represented by one documented creation and several historical creations listed in the prose below. Dedicated profiles will be added progressively, subject to the availability of convergent sources.

Perfumes attributed to Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain

The list below covers compositions attributed to the founder between 1828 and 1864. It is compiled from chronicles published by the house of Guerlain, from the historical blog Guerlain, histoire(s) de parfums and from records held by the City of Paris (the volume Guerlain: le prince des parfums. Premiere epoque, Pierre-Francois-Pascal, 1798-1864).

Flagship composition

• 1853 · Eau de Cologne Impériale for Guerlain. A hesperidic floral eau de cologne, composed for Empress Eugénie de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III, and presented in the bee bottle designed for the imperial court by the glassmaker Pochet du Courval. The bottle is decorated with 69 gilt bees, the Napoleonic emblem, and the cologne is still in production at the house in 2026. The title of Perfumer to Her Majesty the Empress was awarded the same year (sources: Guerlain, Sephora, Tendance Parfums). Dedicated profile to come on Osmetheca.

Founder's historical catalogue

The creations below appear in the catalogues of the house of Guerlain and are attributed to Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain by the reference sources. None of them currently has a dedicated profile on Osmetheca; they are listed here for historical traceability.

• Circa 1828 · Bouquet de Roi d'Angleterre (opening composition of the catalogue, cited by Guerlain, histoire(s) de parfums).
• Circa 1828 · Eau d'Arquebusade, an aromatic water of military tradition included in the founding catalogue.
• Circa 1828 · Eau de Miel, presented as a scented toilet preparation.
• Circa 1828 · Eau de Portugal de Montpellier, a hesperidic water inspired by southern colognes.
• Circa 1828 · Esprit de Fleurs and Esprit de Réséda, two floral extracts from the early Guerlain catalogue.
• Circa 1828 · Essence Bouquet and Esterhazy Mixtyre, two bouquets composed for the Parisian aristocratic clientele.
• 1830 · Eau de Judée, a scented toilet water dated before the move to rue de la Paix.
• Circa 1863 · Bouquet de l'Impératrice, Bouquet Napoleon, Délice du Prince, Eau de Cologne Russe, Bouquet de Furstenberg, Parfum de France, Parfum Impérial and Voilà Pourquoi J'Aimais Rosine, a late series of bouquets and waters composed near the end of the founder's life.

These compositions are no longer in the active catalogue. They belong to the history of nineteenth-century French perfumery, a period documented by the City of Paris digital library and by the blog Guerlain, histoire(s) de parfums.

See also