The notes conjure, in scent, the delicate gold leafing and play between light and shadow, for which the painting is celebrated. Perfumer Calice Becker. was inspired by the fascinating contrast between the painting’s facets, which she describes as "texturized and brilliant, rich and voluptuous." Its zesty luminosity is the fragrant expression of this brightness. The petal-y rose heart depicts all of the facets of the rose. Finally, vanilla absolute’s unctuosity appears generously in the drydown, adorned by an exclusive patchouli molecule, the akigalawood.
Heir to a long line of cognac makers who were pioneers in luxury, Kilian decided to take up the torch of family tradition. His childhood haunts included the family cellars in Cognac. Remembering the "angels’ share" as part of his heritage, he was led into the world of perfumery. The "angels’ share" is what the House of Hennessy calls the percentage that - inexplicably - evaporates from cognac cellars, like an offering to the gods. Many of Kilian’s fragrances today carry this childhood memory as they are reminiscent of the sugar in the alcohol and the wood of the cognac barrels.