A Gentleman

Elegant and rakish, the unknown subject of Augustin’s miniature sports a gold earring and a stickpin nestled in the folds of his neckcloth. The shape of this stickpin echoes the shieldlike format of the miniature itself. Lovers often exchanged portrait miniatures, then perhaps wore or carried their beloved’s image as jewelry. The stickpin might suggest the existence of a painted miniature pendant to the present work, although no such work by Augustin is presently known. The back of the miniature is decorated with a simple lattice of woven hair, a lock of hair being another popular love token.

Jean-Baptiste-Jacques Augustin was a superb draftsman, and established a drawing academy in Paris that trained a number of talented miniaturists, including his wife, the miniature painter Pauline du Cruet. A worthy successor to Augustin was Daniel Saint, who rose to prominence painting official portraits of Napoleon and members of his court. While his early works are soft and vaporous in style, the mature works are more precisely painted with a pure, vibrant palette.