Les Gentlemen

What is an animal portrait in costume, and what are Les Gentlemen?

An animal portrait in costume takes the animal seriously: it is given a rank, and it wears it. Les Gentlemen is the series in which Camille follows this idea through.

Camille has been a professional painter since 2010, and sold hundreds of works before Totem Sauvage even opened in 2025. The gallery is recent; the hand that paints is not.

Why animals in costume? Because the formal portrait of the nineteenth century has a vocabulary everyone recognises: the pose, the gaze, the collar, the reception-room backdrop. These paintings use it with the seriousness of a real portrait. The smile comes first, the details after.

Who are the five characters?

Le Baron is a hedgehog in three-quarter view, in a burgundy frock coat, white shirt and coral bow tie, one paw resting. He seems to know he is prickly and to carry it with elegance. His midnight blue ground has a pattern in relief with ochre highlights, and his oval is ringed with golden studs.

Le Marquis is a woodpecker with black and white plumage and a red nape, under a burgundy top hat. He stands among ferns, on a peacock blue and teal ground, surrounded by golden ornaments in relief: a pediment, two appliqués, a rosette. He is the only oval without studs; his ornaments take their place.

Le Laird is a Highland cow with a tawny fringe in locks and pale horns, in a burgundy frock coat, dark waistcoat and white cravat. Laird is the Scottish word for the lord of an estate: he poses before his own, a green ground scattered with small white and yellow flowers.

Le Duc is a ram with curled horns, a white collar, a bright red bow tie and a dark waistcoat under a burgundy frock coat. His midnight blue ground is in relief too, and a braided golden frame with scrolls at the corners surrounds him. He is the only rectangular piece in the collection.

L'Écuyer is a bay horse with a white blaze and a brown mane, in a red jacket with a blue collar and a golden button, under a red top hat. The écuyer is the one who rides with art; here, it is the horse that put on the hat. His turquoise green ground is adorned with leaves in relief.

The five resemble one another in dress and differ in character: the hedgehog reserved, the woodpecker obstinate, the cow serene, the ram out in front, the horse in motion. You choose one the way you choose a guest for your table.

How big are these paintings, and what does the 120 euro price include?

The ovals measure 21 x 28 cm, the rectangle of Le Duc 20.5 x 27.5 cm. A portrait of this size is looked at up close, and finds its place on a shelf, a desk or a narrow stretch of wall.

The price is 120 euros per portrait, delivery extra. Delivery in mainland France: 12 € per order, free on any order of 300 € or more (displayed prices, VAT included). Each online order covers a single work. Any other destination: quoted on request, write to us before ordering.

A piece shown as available is already painted and ships as soon as it is paid for. It is paid for in full, in one go, with no deposit and no reservation. Delivery abroad and to overseas territories is quoted on request.

Daylight brings the golden ornaments to life: the photos show the effect, but a photograph does not give the full relief.

Where do you hang an animal portrait in costume?

These portraits like walls where people pause: an entrance, where a visitor's first glance meets a hedgehog in a frock coat; a bookcase, between two rows of books; a desk, facing the chair; a hallway, which they hang from end to end.

Side by side, a Baron, a Marquis, a Laird, a Duc and an Écuyer line up easily: their formats differ by no more than half a centimetre.

A single one is enough too. If one of them speaks to you, that is the one to choose, and you can add another later, or never.

To compose a wall, you can play on the grounds: Le Baron and Le Duc share a midnight blue, Le Laird and L'Écuyer greens, Le Marquis a peacock blue. The burgundies and reds of the jackets link the portraits from one to the next.

Can you give a dressed-up animal portrait as a gift?

Yes, and the choice comes from thinking of the person: the horse for someone who rides, the Highland cow for someone who loves Scotland, the hedgehog for a friend who hides tenderness under a few prickles, the ram for a good-natured stubborn one, the woodpecker for someone who perseveres.

As the holidays approach, as at any other time of year, the portrait arrives ready to be given. There is no deadline to meet: the piece is already painted.

If the person would rather see their own animal in costume, custom work exists too, and that is the subject of the next section.

Can you have your own animal painted in costume?

Yes. That is what the Custom commissions page is for: Camille paints your animal in costume, in the spirit of these portraits. Gentlecat, a black cat in costume and top hat painted to order, is the only delivered commission the site shows.

A head costs 90 euros, a full body 180 euros, a large piece 290 euros. Custom work is paid in full when ordering, the lead time is four to six weeks, and delivery costs are quoted before payment. These terms apply to custom work only: the five Gentlemen are already painted.