Fragonard: The Perfume of Provence – Alain Stella

Description: Celebrate a century of Provençal elegance and craftsmanship through the colorful and whimsical world of Maison Fragonard, a historic perfumer and purveyor of lifestyle goods.
Fragonard’s rich history in crafting luxurious perfumes and designing fanciful objects for the home is recounted in this beautifully illustrated book. An ode to the essence of a unique Provençal and Riviera lifestyle, it showcases Fragonard’s exquisite perfume bottle collections alongside stunning interiors, furniture, and tableware, and highlights a century of elegant design and craftsmanship. Lavishly photographed, it offers readers an exuberant glimpse into the timeless charm of the French art of living well.

In the 1920s, as the beauty of the French Riviera began to entice a growing number of cosmopolitan tourists to France, Eugène Fuchs, a visionary businessman in Provence with a deep fascination for the world of fragrances, introduced a groundbreaking concept by selling perfume directly to visitors. He founded Maison Fragonard in Grasse in 1926, named in homage to the eighteenth-century painter, and launched a business dedicated to local cultural heritage and the refined elegance of the arts of the period. Fragonard opened perfume museums in Grasse and Paris in the 1970s to share the rich history of perfumery with a wide audience through its extensive collections and, in 2025, opened a textile museum in Arles to house its world-class collection of antique Provençal clothing.

https://www.waterstones.com/book/fragonard/alain-stella/9782080497956

Review
‘A hundred years, one family, four generations, and a singular love for Provence, Grasse, and its flowers- along with their colors and their scents. This is how one might summarize the Fragonard saga today’ suggests the author in describing a century of perfume creations. But as this book richly illustrated there is so much more to discover. Every page in this sumptuous book reveals more detail, unlocks secrets and shares an unrivalled insight into both the development of perfumes but also records a lifestyle. 

The contents include:
Once Upon a Time in Grasse…
The Garden of Provence
A Family Adventure
Heritage Perfumes
From Flower to Flacon
The Art of Perfume since 1925
A Provençal Lifestyle Reinvented
Transmission and Inspiration
A Family of Collectors
Guardians of Beauty
The Fragonard Spirit
A Philosophy of Sharing

From treasured collections of perfume bottles to museums dedicated to textiles, costumes, artistic collections and the sharing philosophy of their own brand, every page showcases the most breathtaking images and historical detail.

Every time we review a Flammarion book we believe it to be one of their best and yet still they continue to produce the most beautiful examples and in Fragonard The Perfume of Provence the production values are exceptional. The texture of the cover, the exquisitely beautiful photography and exclusive illustrations which accompany the fascinating insights of the author Alain Stella make this a book to treasure for generations to come. 

One of our most favourite books of 2026
Very Highly Recommended! 

Fragonard: The Perfume of Provence – Alain Stella is published by Editions Flammarion