1980-90s | REMBRANDT | Soft Pastels 45 + 90 Color Sets | Royal Talens Holland

REMBRANDT Soft Pastels 45 + 90 Color Sets, Royal Talens Holland, Artist Grade Soft Pastels

—————

Era and identification:

The most likely production period is between 1983 and the early 1990s.

1. ASTM D-4236 Label (1983 or Later)

The white label on the back states:

“HEALTH LABEL Conforms to ASTM D-4236”

ASTM D-4236 is a safety standard established by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) concerning chronic health hazard labeling for art materials. Since this standard was introduced in 1983, the product must have been manufactured after 1983.

2. Presence of an EAN Barcode

The back of the 90-color set displays the barcode:

8712079000059

This is a 13-digit EAN barcode. EAN barcode systems became widely adopted across Europe, including the Netherlands, from the late 1970s onward. Its presence confirms that the set is not an earlier 1950s or 1960s example.

3. “ROYAL TALENS B.V.” Company Designation

The manufacturer is identified as:

ROYAL TALENS B.V.

“B.V.” (Besloten Vennootschap) is the Dutch equivalent of a private limited company. This corporate designation became commonly used on Talens packaging from the 1970s onward, further supporting a post-1970 production date.

Professional artist-grade soft pastel sets produced by Royal Talens B.V. of Apeldoorn, Holland under the REMBRANDT line, one of the company’s flagship fine art ranges introduced in the early 20th century.

Included in this lot:

· REMBRANDT 90 color Portrait set
· REMBRANDT 45 color Landscape set

Model markings visible on boxes:
300 C 90 P
300 C 45 L

Made in Holland.

—————

Design:

These are not children’s craft pastels. The REMBRANDT line was developed for serious artists and art schools, with strong emphasis on pigment purity, lightfastness, and controlled softness.

One interesting detail is the numbering system printed on each stick. REMBRANDT used tonal variations such as .5, .7, .8 etc. to indicate different brightness levels of the same pigment family, allowing painters to build smooth tonal transitions without manually mixing colors.

The Landscape and Portrait themed assortments were intentionally curated for different artistic applications:
· Landscape set focuses on earth tones, greens, sky blues, and natural atmosphere
· Portrait set emphasizes skin tones, warm reds, violets, muted shadows, and facial tonal transitions

The green presentation boxes themselves also have a very classic late 20th century European art supply aesthetic that feels increasingly rare today compared to modern minimal packaging.

—————

Condition and wear:

Vintage second-hand condition.

Visible storage wear, scratches, marks, dust, discoloration, and surface wear to the outer boxes from age and handling.

Many pastel sticks appear used, some may show handling wear, edge wear, small chips, dust transfer, or partial prior use. Sold exactly as shown in photos.

Due to the fragile nature of soft pastels, minor breakage during shipping is possible even with careful packaging.

Please rely on photos for exact included colors and remaining quantities.

—————

History:

Royal Talens was founded in 1899 in the Netherlands and later received the honorary “Royal” designation from the Dutch monarchy due to its long-standing contribution to professional art materials.

The REMBRANDT line became one of their best-known premium artist series and has been widely used by professional painters, illustrators, atelier students, and fine art academies across Europe for decades.

Soft pastels themselves have a long connection to classical portraiture and impressionist painting. Artists valued them because they allow direct application of pure pigment onto paper with a texture and softness difficult to replicate using oil or acrylic paint.

There is also something visually satisfying about older European art materials like these. Even before use, the boxes feel almost archival or library-like, more like studio equipment from a traditional atelier than disposable modern supplies.

—————

Important vintage note:

This is a vintage second-hand item. Minor imperfections, slight color differences, light wear, dust residue, and variations due to age and screen settings are natural and expected with age. These characteristics are part of the item’s history and authenticity. Post-purchase discount requests based on minor vintage traits will not be accepted. If you are looking for a perfect, mint condition item, please avoid this.

26E21