Hidden 18th century portraits discovered at Château de Purnon
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 เม.ย. 2023
- The remarkable discovery of two incredible 18th century portraits found hidden and abandoned on Château de Purnon's deuxieme étage has us eager to find their identities.
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LOVE this modern couple with such a passion and affinity for the past. PURNON could not have better stewards.
Bonjour il semblerait que le premier portrait trouvé sous l'armoire soit celui de : Edouard Achard de la Haye 27/10/1778-6/10/1844 , né et mort au château de Purnon ; il était Chevalier de l'ordre de Malte; cela correspond aux insignes du portrait. J'ai une autre piste du côté de la famille de Goyon: il y avait un préfet ( uniforme de préfet) Michel Augustin de Goyon 1764-1854, beau-père de Catherine Achard de la haye 1810-1885.
it would seem that the first portrait found under the cupboard is that of: Edouard Achard de la Haye 27/10/1778-6/10/1844, born and died at the Château de Purnon; he was a Knight of the Order of Malta; this matches the portrait insignia . I have another clue on the side of the Goyon family: there was a prefect (prefect uniform) Michel Augustin de Goyon 1764-1854, father-in-law of Catherine Achard de la haye 1810-1885.
WOW! Can you get it to a conservation painting expert? It is a piece of history that should never be lost wow, wow. wow. They can completely bring them back with AMAZING results almost like new!
Thousands of Euros to restore each. With a leaking roof.
Bravo. Je pense que votre portrait d'homme est plutôt debut XIXe siècle et pas XVIIIe. Il a toutes les caractéristiques de l'époque Empire que ce soit au niveau de la chevelure ou du costume. Travaillant à une époque à Bernay en Normandie je passait souvent devant le château des Achard de la Haye. Peut-être subsiste-il encore là-bas des portraits de famille pour permettre une identification.
Hello, A very good idea. Xxx
Fascinating!. The history buff and historic preservationist in me is geeking out with this. The correlation between the books bound in red and the fact the gentleman in the painting holding a book bound in red is a prime clue into his identity. Keep up the amazing work. Thanks-
lol I just spent an hour researching ... >>> rabbithole fun !
Definitely hope you can get the paintings restored and conserved…brilliant find!! I love your vlogs…thank you for sharing Purnon’s story with us.
Another wonderful treasure hunt-such interesting finds. The books are gorgeous! Maybe one of the books is in the gentleman’s hand in the portrait. You both are the perfect new owners of this exquisite estate. You take such care with everything. It’s all so interesting and intriguing.
Hi, my degree was in the History of Art and one thing that struck me was that the most important part of paintings (in this case the faces), was often painted by a master while other areas of the paintings (the hands here?) would be given to lesser members of their studio team which may explain the difference in quality. I would suggest trying to get a seperate grant to get them restored and, after getting advice on how to safely store them, would handle them as little as possible in the interim until they can be restored. Likewise, with the clothing that you found - its so important to know how to handle and store them or you could unwittingly do irreversible damage. The paintings and clothing are all so wonderful and could become such highlights of the finished building. Perhaps one room could be given over to a small museum of the artifacts (with controlled lighting and temperatures etc.)? I love your project and your dedication to restoration - what wonderful people you seem to be.
Have you looked closer on top of each wardrobe also, like the area at 19:05 or so? Seems like there is a small gap on top of each between it and the ceiling, might be some things hidden up there years ago and forgotten.
This, as always was fascinating! Chateau de Purnon is in such good custodianship in her restoration, as well as the contents of remaining furniture and paintings! It’s so good that these have stayed with the chateau as part of the history, and luckily also with you. I saw on a British vlog a while back, in reference to paintings from centuries ago, that hands were often painted by a specialist or more expensive portrait artist. This explains why sometimes hands were unfinished or odd looking and could explain your gentleman’s less refined hands… just a thought!
The 18th century bed frames are lovely! I would take them back to the original wood.The paintings are a magnificent find! It is as if your looking through the looking glass of time!
The rolled up painting is so distinctive, especially with him holding the red book. Does it match the set of red bound books shown at the beginning of the clog? Stunning!
I wondered the same about the red book.
He said about the set of red books, that they are bound journals from the end of the 19th cantury, the painting dates from around 1790 - hundred years earlier. So it is very unlikly that there is any connection. Binding with red leather was in fashion for a long time.
Enjoying all the paintings, bed frames and clothing that was found. Can’t wait to see what you do with your treasures you found.
I would be in heaven to be able to help with the artifacts, furniture, paintings you are finding. Having done something similar from a genealogy of my own family, I find it fascinating on so many levels.
What amazing finds. The man in the portrait is holding a red book just like the ones in the cupboard. Interesting!!
Exciting find! Hope you eventually have those portraits restored. The lady portrait seems a bit older than the man's portrait. Maybe she's his mother? Their eyes look similar to me. I agree that the male portrait appears unbalanced, skill-wise. His face is much more refined. Maybe the lower portion was previously damaged and poorly restored? Thank you for this fascinating and well-produced video!
New sub,,,isn't amazing what treasures u can find and not all Chateau s still have these amount of History to find as they have been stripped out . But you guys gave a lot to found out who are these people . Great to see a Australia doing the right thing and living the life of a Chatelaine. ❤
That is such a sweet find and to think you just missed them earlier because of the dust and cobwebs!!! So glad you found them!!! Love watching what y'all are getting accomplished! Good Job!!! ❤❤❤
Thank you for your message. We're thrilled that you're following our journey!
He’s actually holding the book that you found in cabinet so Amazing ❤😊
Not quite. The book is much larger and from a later era. Thanks for your message.
What fascinating treasures your chateau holds! The paintings are amazing. I always look forward to your vlogs. Thank you!
This is like from a fairytail ! So enchanting ! I was googling this family and to me looks like this person in the potrait could be Louis de La Haye Saint Hilaire!
Blessing you people what a find and what a love you are putting in this whole restauration. Love following you both!
So glad that you shared all of that.
Fascinating!
Oh My God! What an amazing fine! Thank you for the saving of this beautiful chateau and it's secrets. I cried when I saw the painting. Please restore the paintings because it's so worth it!
wow I love the amazing finds, paintings and beautiful furniture. So lovely to have that history saved.
the beds and those roller boards are super cool. what a great idea! i love the black and white dog! It is so fluffy and cute!
I am from Adelaide South Australia and have only just found this site. It was such a breath of fresh air to find an Australian couple renovating a Chateau other than a usual British couple. I will be watching with a keen interest as you continue in bringing this beautiful Chateau back to life
I absolutely love watching every step of the journey that you share with us! Your love and dedication for this renovation is unparalleled!
Finding these portraits was as if a long gone family member lead you to these treasures.
I love genealogy, and your research of the family is wonderful. I hope you can put a name to ea😊ch portrait!
Bless you both for restoring this beautiful old lady!!
Hello, Thank you both for all your fascinating videos on the restoration of Chateau de Pernon. I am amazed at how you work manually on digging, clearing heavy rubble, dust everywhere, painting and now working on the moat tunnels! Bravo to you both. This is the most fascinating restoration projects I have ever watched; the letters, menus, carpentry commissions, German newspapers and not least the portrait oil paintings. I must ask are you going to get the paintings restored, they should be signed. Also, have you found the library on the Chateau plans? And will you store the papers in special archive paper and eventually put them behing glass in a museum room?
Fabulous presentation, all best fortune in your many restoration endeavours. I can't wait to watch all your videos. Xxx ❤
The portrait of the unknown male is early 19th century--Premier Empire. One can tell from the high redingote-style collar of the jacket, the position of the buttons and the absence of lace on the jabot.
Great episode, love all the history.
I enjoyed so very much seeing the furnishings left behind and their history. The paintings are amazing, What a wonderful discovery. Blessings.
No doubt you noticed that the red book looks the same as the series of journals you found in the linen press.
Thank Y’all for doing all this and sharing the Journey. What a big and beautiful project. Woooo.
I can't get over all of the items you are finding....what an adventure and treasure find......you may need an expert to help you out. So interesting! The dog is so cute! Thank you for taking us along with you on this wonderful journey....very exciting!
You are both wonderful custodians. The green paint on the bed looks reasonably recent as you said in good condition. Happy exploring. NZ
So interesting, thank you. Imagine being able to restore them and displaying them again on the chateau walls, wow!
The male painting looks like it has the gold mark of the marquis on the red books found in that cupboard. How exciting
I think the portrait of the man is early 19th century based on his clothing and hair. Based on the hair and makeup of the female I would say mid-late 18th c. Have you considered having the beds either dipped or sandblasted? The wood underneath must be so interesting, although the beds were likely painted originally. Thank you for sharing!
If you clean fabrics, you should use a vacuum with a controllable intensity since a simple brush will force some of the dirt and dust deeper into the fabrics.
T&F thank you for this presentation of these discoveries of the chateau.. I am enjoying the slow release of her secrets of the past!
Thank you for taking the time to video your work and share with us - very very fascinating
I feel quite emotional watching this.....
Enjoying this journey through history based on your findings. What a job, good work. Amazing chateau! Just amazing. Thank you for sharing all with us. Room after room!
WOW - the mysteries of the portraits❣️
Maybe contact an art school and ask if they need pieces for the students to practice restoration on. You have so much.
Absolutely amazing xx
Fascinating. I hope the paintings can be restored one day.
We hope so too. We are trying to proceed systematically though all the works so that we preserve and restore things properly and only after we fully understand their historical significance.
you should try the repair shop to get them restored ,awsome find
Interesting & fascinating!
So exciting.. Really enjoyed the video...
Absolutely amazing finds! Such treasure ❤
Wonderful. You found the portraits. Thank goodness❤
Great job, gentlemen!
Perhaps it was painted by one of the ladies of the family. Who else would paint the eyes so - true to life?
I second what has been said about it being from around 1810, the hairstyle and jacket with collar match that period. I have a portray similar from one of my ancestor, and can date it from around 1810.
Be cautious also, my own ancestors were military but not painted as such in the portrays I have. So it is possible this person was in the military. At least, i wouldn't exclude it
Thank you for taking us on another wonderful Chateau de Purnon journey...truly fascinating.
This is amazing! Could the red book in his hand be one of the red leather-bound books that you found earlier?
What an incredible find 😍😍😍
G'day to you both. Another fascinating instalment of the Chateau's life. I know there is so much to be done, but you love history, despite the enormity of the job at hand these little vignettes must be a joy. With your love of things historic, i'm not surprised that you live in France, it's so rich. Looking forward, as usual, to seeing the continuing progress. Take care while doing it.
Gosh if I was in France how I would love to gold leaf the frames you have
Absolutely wonderful
Amazing!!
There is never such a thing as "damaged beyond salvation". Everything has an element of restoration.
Very interesting, I love this stuff.
Uncovering the garden will also reveal a whole archive of the chateau's past! Wow you have that to look forward to in the Summer. I imagine the moat will be full of stuff thrown in The Revolution and WW2 too!
Get the paintings over to Julian at Baumgartner restoration he's excellent.
What an amazing find! You both are to be commended for your patience and perseverance…and so much more !!🎉
So interesting! Thank you
Rikki Biermann, Pretoria, South
What are the red set of books found about?? Red book and portrait of man with a red book. I guess cutting pics out of frames was the only way to save then!! Show us all the old clothes found. So beautiful. Thanks for caring so much forthis chateau and its treasures!! God bless you!
Excelente!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Que fascinate!!!!!!!!!!
Bonjour Australiens - look to the structure the left of Monsieur's shoulder in helping to identify the portrait. One can see a substantial building, perhaps a château with it's reflection in the water to Monsieur's back. I do not believe it is Purnon. Felicitations to you both from Normandie.
Wow, fascinating to share your journey. Watching from PA, USA.
So exciting !
Wow those paintings are amazing I hope you can get them professionally restored, framed and put back up in the Chateau. The beds are amazing the fabric’s definitely look like they could be really old. If you contact the V and A museum in London…. (There’s probably something similar in France), they will be able to advise you on the best way of conserving the clothes and may also provide ideas on dating the fabrics…or they may know who to contact in France. I know Stephanie Jarvis at Chateau de La Lande visited a Fabric Museum of Provençal fabrics, she has a vlog about it on her channel. You’re so lucky that so many treasures have been saved. Treasure doesn’t always mean gold, silver, diamonds etc, it all depends on what you see as treasure! To me these are priceless.
tellement de tapisseries , de tissus, vêtements, broderies, avec tout le " savoir faire " qu'il n' ai pas besoin d ' aller à Londres....
I want to see Julian Baumgartner restore those canvases.
Fabulous find. I hope the portraits can be restored.
Fabulous painting finds. These need Julian from @BaumgartnerRestoration
So interesting, keep going,love all the new finds,
We're amazed we're still finding fascinating objects four years after we arrived.Just when we thought we'd searched every cupboard, nook and cranny... something else pops up! Thanks for following our journey!
Wow how great to find these paintings
You are both so right in doing the roof first! Without the watertight roof you have nothing but leaks everywhere.
What a treasuretrove your chateau is!
Love the bedheads, very unique, my most favorite of French bedheads I have seen so far! xo from Whakatane, New Zealand
I would definitely be double checking the tops of the linen presses, unless they are to be disassembled for the duration of the roof repairs.
Thank you both for the update. Amazing discoveries today. Can’t wait to see the finished wing. Cheers from Melbourne. 🇦🇺
So very interesting
It appears that the lady's portrait is about 1780-90. The gentleman's portrait looks about 1800-1810. That's my best guess. :)
Definitely worth framing. Wonder why it was sliced out!
Incredible finds.
Hello, have you seen Château de Vaux? It is from about 1700, very similar to Purnon in the layout with the symmetric facade flanked by 2 long outbuildings very like yours. It also has the lower service yard behind one of the long outbuildings. It was in as bad or possibly worse condition, and is being restored by a very young French man. It is similar in size, very similar curving stone staircase, I think, but the roof is not quite as grand as yours but it is a huge project, I think 7 years in. You might find it interesting. 🇦🇺 (it is on TH-cam)
le château de Fouquet , ministre des finances sous louis XIV, arrêté par d '" Artagnan "
château en parfait état, toiture plus grande , grand dôme en ardoise...
Did you check that the red book he’s holding isn’t one of the journals you found? I thought I saw a small mark that could be the small gold crest you showed us - on the corners of the journals. Wouldn’t that be a thing?! 😁
I thought that too
All interesting finds. To my eye, the portrait of the lady appears to have been cut down to a smaller size. As for the gentleman with the red book, a sober portrait, which looks closer to early 19thC. check the style of stock he is sporting, that can be a good clue as to date.
If you wish to check details use your saliva and a cotton bud with a gentle circular motion it's an old conservators trick. You can see the chateau in the background and the top half of the painting appears far superior to the bottom and the book seems to go behind the body rather than in the hand, we only get a glimpse but given the bizarrely outsized hand one wonders if it was overpainted by someone other than the original artist.
Going by the clothing on those portraits, I would guess that the woman may well be the Marquise who built the chateau, those powdered wigs were rarely worn after the Revolution, and the man may well be her surviving son, that hairstyle and cravat are very 1795 - 1805, there are pictures of major figures of that era with exactly that look. You may be amazed at what a professional restorer can do to clean them up - removing the old varnish which has clouded with damp will be a revelation.
The portrait of the woman has been CUT from off her stretcher bars. The original painting would have been larger.
The gentleman has been REMOVED from the stretcher bars, as it appears that there are tack-holes along the unpainted border. This is an odd amount of work, pulling the tacks out - apparently whoever was responsible wanted the stretcher bars for another painting?
Both paintings need re-lining before any repairs can be made to the holidays and losses - here’s hoping that you can find a conservation expert close by to handle the work. (I am in Ireland or I would happily volunteer !)
Well done, all!
i would say that the color of those beds are up to date. Changing the color of the beds would take away the history and value of the furniture. Those iron rod beds are they cribs.? They could be made into a day bed or used as a display for an old doll or clothes draped over the railing. You are very blessed to have all this history at your finger tips.
My favourite episode ❤.
Thrilled you enjoyed it - amongst our favourite discoveries! Thank you!
The portrait you unrolled is dressed in very early 19th Century clothing, Empire up to 1830's...
Plus haircut is definitely XIXth century not XVIIIth. Clothing dates from the 1800-1830 period, but I learnt that a few guys in remote french provinces still wore this kind of jacket in 1850
I hope the key takes you to a treasure box full beautiful things or a room / or cupboard because you have found a lot of beautiful things already I’m so happy for you both .
I love the dog!❤
With all of our hearts! Thank you!
The green bed frame is surprising and actually has details that are like art deco or even some late 1940s or1950s furniture style my generation grew up with. The bundled reeds, (to give them a name), on the edges look so familiar. The local furniture maker couldn't do flutes so he did reeds instead? It might be a later frame than the other? Did they actually describe the bedframe in the inventory? The Guarde Meuble would have done that but that was for the crown. They gave very detailed descriptions. You could call the maker a stylistic visionary in as much as he stripped the design down to the most obvious lines. The convention may have only allowed the Marquise to keep a few things so she had something to live with.
And why would they have stopped using those rails to pull the bed out when that is about the only way the bed can be made in an alcove? Wouldn't they have continued to use them almost to the present day? And that way those hard iron wheel didn't wear grooves in the flooring or the carpet.
If the gentleman's portrait dates from during the revolution isn't it noteworthy that he had it painted without the powdered wig and to conform to the new aesthetic of the common man and yet he fought against the revolution?
BTW -did those old beds when fully fitted out weigh much more than a typical modern bed? Is any of the original stuffing or featherbedding still in existence there? I wonder if anywhere in France you could find an old regime bed with most of its stuffing? I wonder if there are even mattresses under the big beds at Versailles? I suspect the curators wouldn't bother to make a bed to sleep in. It's only there to display the recreation of the original bed cloths. All the royal chateau lost all their contents during the revolution.