Joseph Jerome Simeon, Chevalier and Comte 1749 - 1842

c. 1811

Francois-Joseph Kinsoen - Flemish, 1771-1839. (Attributed)

Oil on canvas

30 x 25cm

This painting shows Simeon in his uniform of as Minister of Justice and the Interior in the Westphalian Government of King Jerome Napoleon. He shown wearing around his neck the cross of the Grand Commander of the Order Westphalia which was created by King Jerome on the 25th December, 1809, and was abolished by Louis XVIII, on the 19th July, 1814. There are a number of paintings that show King Jerome wearing the Grand Commander necklace but the two known paintings of Simeon are the only other examples of someone else wearing the Grand Commanders cross. Only 10 of the Grand Commanders crossed were ever awarded. The red sash Simeon wears was originally painted blue for the Order of Westphalia but Simeon had it repainted to that of the Bavarian order of Saint Hubert after the fall of Napoleon's Empire to better suite the new political climate.

Simeon began his career as a Professor of Law at the University of Aix-en-Provence in 1778, but lost his chair during the Revolution. Taking part in the federalist movement in 1793 lead to him being outlawed and he was forced to take refuge in Italy, returning to Marseille after ‘Prairial’ of the year III. In 1795 he became a member of the Council of Five Hundred, but due to his strong protests over the use of the army during the Coup d'etat (18 Fructidor) and his perceived monarchism he was condemned to deportation. He went into hiding but was found and sent to prison on the island of Oléron. Released after Napoleon’s coup d'etat of 18 Brumaire, Simeon collaborated with his brother in law J.E. Portalis in the drawing up and writing the new Code Civil and as a reward was made a member of the Tribunnat and then a member of the Conseil d'État. He was later offered the role of Prefect in the east of France, however he declined the position, upsetting Napoleon in the process as he did not particularly appreciate being turned down! When Napoleon became Emperor in 1804, it was Simeon who congratulated him on behalf of the Tribunnat, but the speech Simeon delivered was very negative towards the old Bourbon regime which, to the surprise of many, Napoleon did not particularly appreciate. In 1807, on Cambacéres recommendation, Simeon was sent to Cassel in Westphalia as one of three commissioners tasked to help organise and setup the new kingdom. A short time earlier Simeon had been financially ruined by a ‘crook’ and Cambacéres had submitted his name to Napoleon to try and assist Simeon in rebuilding his fortune. Even though Napoleon only moderately ‘liked’ Simeon, he knew and appreciated his capacity and knowledge of the legal system so knew he would be useful in Westphalia. However, Simeon and the new King Jérôme Bonaparte did get on well and the young king asked his brother to allow Simeon to stay on in Westphalia in the position of Minister of Justice. The following anecdote helps to give us an idea of Napoleon's opinion of Simeon: At the beginning of 1810, Joseph Portalis the son of the minister and a nephew of Simeon’s, was implicated in an affair regarding relations between France and the Pope. Napoleon sacked the young Portalis and is reported to have said – “I am not surprised by his treason. He has in is veins the icy blood of the Simeons”. Simeon remained in Westphalia up to 1813, and left for France prior to the collapse of the Kingdom. He was confident in the military capabilities of Napoleon, and the victories of the coalition were not the cause of his leaving Westphalia; he simply thought he had made enough money to live quietly back in his homeland. After the fall of Napoleon in 1814 Simeon accepted the role of Prefect in Lille. The position had been offered on the suggestion of the comte Beugnot who had for a short time been ministre de l'Intérieur. Beugnot and Siméon were old friends as Beugnot had been minister of finance in Westphalia in 1807-1808. When Napoleon escaped from the island of Elbe in 1815, King Louis XVIII fled north and spent a couple of days in Lille where Simeon welcomed him in his role of Prefect. Louis XVIII held a good opinion of Simeon which was to be of great help to him at a later date. When Napoleon returned to Paris he removed Simeon from his role of Prefect but he was soon elected to the ‘chamber’ for the department of Bouches du Rhône. Simeon waited several weeks before going to sit in the ‘chamber’ and remained silent throughout most of the sessions.

During the second restoration Simeon's position was not as good as it had been one year earlier, Ultra Royalists were now in power and Simeon had two black marks against him: Firstly his speech in 1804 where he had spoken out against the Bourbons, and second to have been a member of the ‘chamber’ during the ‘100 days’, even though he had not participated in the debates. Hence he was over looked for roles in the new government but Louis XVIII himself intervened and he was named Conseil d'État. In 1818 he was made a Count and in October 1821 a Peer of France. With Charles X ascending the throne in 1821 the Ultra Royalists were again in power and Simeon again found himself on the outer so when the revolution of 1830 occurred Simeon was very happy to side with the 'July Monarchy' of King Louis-Philippe.

Simeon died in 1842 and is buried in Paris in the 30th division of Pere-Lachaise cemetery. The above information was kindly supplied to me by Pacal Rousselle who is married to a direct descendant of Simeon.

Francois  Joseph Kinsen (Kinsoen), Painter 1771-1839

Flemish School Kinsoen attended the Academie at Bruges and studied under Bernard Fricxs (1754-1814) where he won several prizes, establishing a reputation in Ghent and Brussels before exhibiting in Paris in 1799 where his work won further acclaim. With Joseph-Benoit Suve’s encouragement he settled in Paris and developed a fashionable society clientele. The seriousness and sobriety of his first portraits bear similarity to Jacques-Louis David’s style of portraiture. During the early years of the Empire Kinsoen worked for Napoleon’s court, painting members of the Imperial family and other high officials. In 1808 he was appointed court painter to Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, King of Westphalia, whom he followed to Kassel. While there he fell under the influence of Francois Grard, also active as a portrait painter to the imperial family, and adopted the more superficial style then in favour with his wealthy clientele.

In 1811 Kinsoen received an order from King Jerome to paint the portraits of all the highest officials of the Kingdom, and this portrait shows Simeon in his uniform as Minister of Justice. Around his neck he wears the Grand Commanders cross of the Order of the Crown of Westphalia, with Star, along with an officers grade Legion of Honour, the Sash and Star of the order of St Hubertus of Bavaria and a Restoration period Star for the Legion of Honour, which would have been added to the painting sometime after 1814.

With the overthrow of King Jerome in 1813 Kinsoen returned to Paris and in 1816 was appointed painter to Louis-Antoine de Bourbon, Duc d Angouleme, whose portrait he had painted two years earlier. He continued to work as a court painter in Paris until 1830 when he moved back to Bruges where he died in 1839.