Minéral d’Art is a contemporary artistic material developed by MAISON LOUIS-MARIE VINCENT, born from in-depth research into historic decorative techniques and materials chemistry. Designed to meet the aesthetic, mechanical, and structural demands of contemporary creation, it offers great formal freedom, allowing for molding, sculpting, and textural work, while ensuring long-term stability and durability.
This material is rooted in an ancient savoir-faire, notably derived from the historic carton-pierre technique, which emerged in the 18th century and was used for architectural decor, moldings, and sculptural elements. Composed of textile fibers and paper combined with mineral fillers and natural binders, this lightweight yet resilient material made it possible, once dried, to achieve finely detailed sculptural forms.
Architect Richard Mique notably employed this technique for the décor and moldings of Queen Marie-Antoinette’s Theatre at Versailles, completed in 1780.
Used in turn for molding, sculpture, and structural applications, and finished with paint or gilding, the technique was later adopted in the late 19th century by industrial manufacturers, most notably the Adt family, for the production of molded furniture. It gradually fell into disuse in the early 20th century with the rise of plastics and synthetic resins.
Building on this technical heritage, Louis-Marie Vincent, in collaboration with Claire Vincent, proposed a contemporary reinterpretation of this historic recipe, leading to the development of an exclusive artistic material: Minéral d’Art.
Today, Minéral d’Art© can be sculpted, textured, or molded, offering both exceptional formal freedom and durable structural performance. Developed within the ateliers of MAISON LOUIS-MARIE VINCENT, it is available in a range of finishes, raw, smooth, draped, and shagreen texture, the latter achieved through molding from genuine shagreen skins. It is equally suited to the creation of unique pieces and to molded series, and is part of an approach focused on the revalorization of materials drawn from the principles of the circular economy.
This material now lies at the heart of several major artistic interventions and collaborations.
As part of the “Les Aliénés” collection for the Mobilier national, a 19th-century Louis XV style chest of drawers, originally destined for destruction, was transformed by Louis-Marie Vincent into a contemporary artwork. Almost entirely enveloped in a vast sculpted cloud of Minéral d’Art, the piece was reimagined while preserving its original function and use.
Continuing this approach, a sculptural intervention in Minéral d’Art was created on a Pleyel grand piano for the renowned french decorator Jacques Garcia, integrating custom-shaped cloud forms with absolute respect for the instrument’s mechanics and functional integrity.
More recently, MAISON LOUIS-MARIE VINCENT designed the UCHH console in Minéral d’Art for Galerie May in Paris, in close collaboration with Charles Tassin. Conceived as a fully sculptural work, the piece combines a powerful formal presence with unexpected structural lightness, at the crossroads of medieval and futuristic aesthetics.
Finally, in collaboration with french designer Jérémy Pradier-Jeauneau, the team at MAISON LOUIS-MARIE VINCENT created a large mirror presented at the Hôtel de la Marine during Paris Design Week 2025, and later at PAD London. This work brings together Minéral d’Art, cold metal coating with a brass finish, molding from genuine shagreen, and parchment cladding, fully expressing the dialogue between material, expertise, and contemporary creation.
