Louis Joseph Pottin was an artist surrounded by talented portraitists who were no doubt in high demand. He was trained by the great Carolus Duran (1837-1917) who also taught John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). Duran encouraged his students to draw and paint simultaneously using a modified brush, which was a radical approach at the time.

As a sign of respect, Sargent produced a stylish portrait of his teacher in 1879 - a work which is currently in the Met, New York.