This Parisian apartment, covered in layers of dust and filled with artifacts from a bygone period, is a fascinating trip through time. After being sealed away for seven decades, the deserted house was revealed three years ago after the 91-year-old owner passed away.
The mysterious owner, Mrs. De Florian, had left the apartment unoccupied for more than 70 years after she left for the south of France before to the start of World War II. Tucked away in Paris’s 9th arrondissement, this secret gem evoked a sense of mystery and nostalgia as it stood between the Opera and the Pigalle red-light district.
Back in time: The flat near the Trinité church in Paris between the Pigalle red light district and Opera
Experts tasked with categorizing the belongings of this abandoned residence unearthed a wealth of artifacts, most notably a painting by Italian artist Giovanni Boldini from the 19th century. A specialist compared the encounter to discovering Sleeping Beauty’s castle, a place where time had stopped since the turn of the century.
Under a thick layer of dusk lay a treasure trove of turn-of-the-century objects including a painting by the 19th century Italian artist Giovanni Boldini
The discoverer, Olivier Choppin-Janvry, described the moment of revelation while describing the faint smell of old dust. He came onto a captivating scene among the antiquities, a woman dressed in a pink evening gown made of muslin. Boldini, who also happened to be Mrs. De Florian’s grandmother, played the fascinating French actress and Belle Époque socialite Marthe de Florian, the subject of the piece.
Untouched: The cobweb-filled flat was discovered in the 9th arrondissement of Paris
A captivating woman with a horde of devoted fans, Marthe de Florian had kept their love letters neatly bound with ribbons, offering a moving window into a more innocent time. Boldini, the artist, and George Clemenceau, the 72nd Prime Minister of France, were among her admirers.
Treasure trove: Behind the door, under a thick layer of dusk lay a treasure trove of turn-of-the-century objects, including the Boldini painting that sold for £1.78million
An artist’s handwritten love message on a visiting card found later confirmed the expert’s suspicions regarding the Boldini picture. The value of the artwork surged after this discovery, and when it was eventually put up for auction, the initial asking price of £253,000 shot up to an incredible £1.78 million, setting a record for the artist.
When the owner died died aged 91, experts were tasked with drawing up an inventory of her possessions
Art specialist Marc Ottavi described the auction as a “magic moment,” highlighting the buyer’s excitement as he voluntarily paid the price for a piece of history dripping with Boldini’s artistic mastery.
Mrs de Florian fled Paris before the outbreak of war in 1939, which saw the Nazis invade France and reach Paris on June 14. Pictured here, German officers and Parisians mingle near a sidewalk cafe on the Champs Elysees on Bastille Day in 1940
