Adolphe Martial-Potémont (called Martial) was born on February 10, 1827 in Paris, France. In 1847 he moved to Reunion, a French island off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. He stayed there for 10 years before returning to Paris, at age 30. In Paris he began to study art, becoming a student of of Léon Cogniet and Félix Brissot of Warville. Trained as a printmaker he worked for the publisher Alfred Cadart in 1862 doing etchings of old Parisian landmarks. In 1867 he exhibited his work at the World Fair in Paris.

Martial did nearly 300 views of Paris and 57 plates for Jean de La Fontaine's Tales, engraved after drawings by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. He also works as a landscape painter and genre painter, some of which were exhibited at Paris Salons from the 1840s to 1860s.

In 1871 he wrote and illustrated “Paris sous la commune. Notes et eaux fortes. Paris Incendie”, published by Imprimerie Cadart et Luquet, Paris. Between 1874 and 1881 he produced eight etchings for an album of etchings published by Cadart. Martial also taught art, Paul Montarlot was a student and Martial was considered the inspiration and teacher of etcher Alfred Taiée (1820-1880).

Adolphe Martial-Potémont died in Paris on October 14, 1883.