This sensitive self- portrait of the artist looking over his right shoulder is close in technique to Delacroix, by whom he was much influenced. A portrait miniature of Fromentin on ivory dated 1841 by Thevenet in the collection of Erik Dahl was exhibited at La Rochelle, Fromentin, le peintre et l’écrivan, 1970, no. 55. A self-portrait in black chalk heightened with white dated 1843 was sold at the Hôtel Drouot, (Piasa), 19th June 2003, lot 155. Apart from his painting Fromentin also had a distinguished reputation as the author of four books, two on his travels in Africa, an impressive but now forgotten book of art criticism Les Maîtres d’Autrefois (1876) and his masterpiece of Frech Romantic Literature Dominique, first published in 1862. This watercolour would appear to date from around that time.
