Louis Auguste Second, dit Fereol (1795-1870) - Mallard hunting trophy

Louis Auguste SECOND, named FEREOL
(Amiens, 1795 - Orleans, 1870)

Mallard hunting trophy

Oil on paper mounted on canvas
Signed and dated at the bottom
Exhibition labels in the upper left corner
37 x 27 cm
1854

Louis-Auguste Second, known under the name of Fereol, had an interesting multifaceted artistic career. He was born in an acting environment: himself the son of an actor, he was the cousin of Marie Dorval (the famous romantic actress who was Alfred de Vigny's mistress) and the nephew of Mademoiselle Mars.

After having done the military school of Saint-Cyr, he became a second lieutenant in the young imperial guard and took part in the campaign of France in 1814. But he quickly reconverted in the spectacle and becomes in 1817 lyric singer (tenor) at the Opéra-Comique where he officiated until 1838, before exercising his talents at the Théâtre de la Renaissance. He is also a playwright (for example he wrote "Five Years of Intermission" in 1833). A fairly famous figure at the time, his miniature portrait by Paul Gomien was exhibited at the Salon of 1835.

Painting is another of his activities, and not the least.
A pupil of Xavier Leprince, he exhibited at the Salon in 1824, and this very regularly until 1848. In 1834, he exhibited no less than 7 paintings! These are essentially landscapes, of a fairly classic style, representing views of the North (Douai, Boulogne, etc.), Picardy (Amiens), Paris and its surroundings, Fontainebleau, and above all of Sologne and Orleans, city where he attended high school. At the Salon, he was domiciled in Paris at various addresses in the Batignolles district until 1835, then in Orleans from 1837.

Widower in 1832 of his cousin Eugénie Boutet de Monvel whom he had married in 1822, he retired to his property of "L'ormette" in Saint-Denis en Val in the Loiret, before settling definitively in Orléans itself. in 1846. He leads a fairly active social life there (he had already founded the Musical Institute there, for example). His son Félix was born there in 1825, where he was a lawyer before embarking on a career as a doctor.

A staunch Bonapartist, holder of the Saint Helena medal, he was awarded the Legion of Honor in 1862. His exaggerated patriotism manifested itself one last time when he committed suicide on September 5, 1870 after learning of the surrender of Sedan. He is the great-grandfather of the brothers Jacques and Pierre Brissaud, the famous painters and illustrators.