When you renovate a house and find something personal left behind by a former resident, it's like discovering treasure, making you wonder who they were and what their life was like. But if the discovery is a painting by a renowned artist, there are other questions to ponder. During renovations at the house called Bastide du Jas de Bouffan, in Aix-en-Provence, France, contractors found a previously-unknown partial mural by Paul Cézanne. It was painted on a wall and buried under layers of plaster, paint, and wallpaper.
The house was purchased by Louis-Auguste Cézanne in 1859, and his 20-year-old son Paul lived there for two years while attending law school during the day and art class at night. In 1860, the younger Cézanne was granted permission to decorate the Grand Salon of the home, where 13 wall murals have been removed and placed in far-flung museums. The latest discovery is called Entrée du port (Entrance to the Port). However, only the edges of the very large painting still exist. Unlike the other wall murals, it will remain part of the Grand Salon, due to reopen in 2025.
(Image credit: Ville d'Aix-en-Provence/Philippe Biolatto)