Blois castle, during architecte Duban's works.: Original large watercolor.

Watercolor with white gouache highlights. 46.4 x 64.2 cm. Monogrammed at the bottom right with a double T topped with a count's crown (Turpin de Crissé's usual signature) and dated 1846. Framed.

Lancelot-Théodore Turpin de Crissé (1782-1859) spent part of his childhood in Anjou, at the Château d'Angrie, owned by the Viscountess de Turpin. He traveled to Italy and Switzerland under the protection of his godfather, Count de Choiseul-Couffier. Upon his return, he was approached by the imperial family, who bought paintings from him. Turpin de Crissé first exhibited at the Salon in 1806, receiving a gold medal as a landscape painter. In 1810, he was appointed chamberlain to Empress Joséphine. Between 1806 and 1835, he produced numerous works, primarily oil paintings and small watercolors. Large watercolors by Turpin de Crissé are rare. The one here depicts the Renaissance Loges facade of the Château de Blois during its restoration.

The Château de Blois, a former residence of the French kings and their families, is one of the most beautiful castles in the Loire Valley. Despite being abandoned in 1660 after the death of Gaston d'Orléans, Louis XIV showed no interest. The French Revolution and its revolutionaries pillaged what remained, and Napoleon I considered demolishing it before ceding it to the City of Blois in 1810. It served as a barracks until Louis-Philippe's reign when Prosper Mérimée classified it as a Historical Monument in 1840.

In 1843, Mérimée proposed that the restoration of the Château de Blois be entrusted to the architect Jacques-Félix Duban (1797–1870). Grand Prix de Rome in 1823, Duban, a specialist in Renaissance architecture, worked on various restoration projects, including the Sainte-Chapelle and parts of the Louvre. His significant public construction project was the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he worked from 1832 until his death. Duban replaced Louis Visconti at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1854.

In 1844, Duban created two drawings of the Loges facade: one depicting its pre-restoration state and the other the restoration project. From September 1845 to March 1846, Duban worked on the François I wing, simultaneously on the courtyard facade, the Loges facade, and the interiors. Turpin de Crissé created the drawing in 1846 during Duban's work on the Loges facade. It's interesting to note some differences between Duban's 1844 drawing and Turpin de Crissé's 1846 rendition.

Turpin de Crissé, not only an artist but also a collector and enlightened art enthusiast, had evident connections with architects of his time. An inscription on the back of an oil painting on paper marouflé on canvas at the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne reads: "Souvenir du Cte de Turpin à son collègue et ami Mr Hittorff, 19 mai 1859."