Mme L'Herminier-Ponteuil

In 1821, when Augustin painted this portrait of the actress Madame L'Herminier, née Ponteuil ¹ , he was over sixty years old and painted private persons only on rare occasions. ² As his exact drawing and delicate painting technique had fallen out of favour, his former clients let themselves be portrayed by younger artists some of whom had studied with him. The cheerful freshness visible in the faces of Augustin's earlier sitters gave way to a weak melancholic expression in his portraits of Duc de Berry, Charles X, Duchess d'Angoulême and Louis-Philippe. The artist's late miniatures seem to reflect his disappointment about his decreasing popularity. The actress L'Herminier-Ponteuil is not mentioned in any biographical encyclopedia or other reference books. ³ It is possible that she was related to an actor called Ponteuil who lived in Paris at the beginning of the 18th century. It may also be that she is the Parisian singer of the same name who is mentioned in the novel "Germinie Lacerteux" written by the Goncourt brothers in 1865. ⁴

¹ An inscription on the reverse identifies the sitter: "Mme. L'Herminier/ née Mad.e Ponteuil/ artiste dramatique/ sous l'Empire".

² Augustin's last known miniature shows a gentleman called Arcos and was painted in 1830. Sold at Christie's London, March 27, 1973.

³ We are grateful to R. Maître for his research.

⁴ Ponteuil is mentioned at the beginning of the second chapter together with the singers Todi and Saint-Huberti.