The Horadam Aquarell Retro Set "Jan Wellem" is a metal box containing 6 x 5 ml tubes of Horadam Aquarell. The box features a vintage engraving on the outside and a vintage Jan Wellem print on the inside of the lid, and is a reissue of the original design from the 1930s.

Jan Wellem—whose real name was Johann Wilhelm II of the Palatinate (1658–1716)—was Elector of the Palatinate and turned Düsseldorf into a cultural center. He was known for his magnificent court, his promotion of art and culture, and his down-to-earth demeanor, which earned him the nickname “Jan Wellem.” This is likely why the art-loving Elector became the inspiration for the Horadam watercolor travel set in the 1930s.

The set includes all three special colors—Solferino, Gamboge Gum, and Cassler Brown—and is designed to create many harmonious, vibrant color combinations. It comes with a letter from the management at the time and a retro watercolor color chart.

The set includes the following colors:

• Gamboge Gum
• Solferino
• Cobalt Blue Light
• Yellow ochre
• English Venetian Red
• Cassler Brown

Schmincke Horadam Aquarell is one of the world’s most renowned lines of professional watercolor paints. The standard range includes 139 colors in half-pan and full-pan sizes, as well as 5-ml and 15-ml tubes. 92 of the colors are single-pigment and provide precise mixing results, while 22 colors are granulating and marked with a “G” on the color chart. The range includes both classic colors and newer pigments such as perylene, quinacridones, and transparent iron oxide.

The Supergranulating series consists of 50 colors in half-pans as well as 5 ml and 15 ml tubes. Each color combines at least two granulating Horadam pigments from different color series, which enhances the textural effect and creates color variation in the brushstrokes. The effect depends on the paper and the amount of water—the rougher the paper, the stronger the granulation. The 50 colors are divided into 10 thematic series of 5 colors each: Deep Sea, Glacier, Galaxy, Forest, Tundra, Volcano, Shire, Desert, Haze, and Urban.

Short About Schmincke

Schmincke was founded in 1881 by the paint chemists Josef Horadam and Hermann Schmincke in Germany. The company’s first product was the “Mussini” oil paint, developed based on traditional resin-oil paint recipes from the Italian artist Cesare Mussini. In 1892, Josef Horadam developed a new type of liquid-cast watercolor, which he named after himself—the cornerstone of what is now the Horadam Aquarell series. More than 140 years later, Schmincke is still guided by the company motto “Meliora cogito” (I strive for the best), and Horadam Aquarell remains one of the most highly regarded watercolor lines among professional artists worldwide.

See the complete overview of the colors here.