(4/4) Do you know the face of Jean Cottereau, the great lord of Maintenon during the Renaissance?

After weeks of research, historical investigation, and collaboration between historians and an illustrator, it’s time to reveal the result…

Here is the reconstruction of the face of Jean Cottereau, Lord of Maintenon during the Renaissance.

Five centuries after his death, he comes back to life. This reconstruction is based on painstaking work aimed at identifying the features that may have been his, drawing inspiration in particular from physical characteristics passed down through generations and visible in portraits of his grandchildren.

Jean Cottereau is depicted here as a knight of the Order of Saint Michael, a prestigious order of knighthood of which he was a member.

And if you look closely at his attire, you’ll spot a subtle lizard: a nod to his coat of arms, whose emblem can still be found today on many facades of the Château de Maintenon.