Portrait of Luciano Pavarotti 2001

This is Nelson Shanks’s oil on canvas portrait of Luciano Pavarotti. We see the great tenor in a moment of repose, perhaps backstage before a performance. His flamboyant patterned dressing gown and affected pose remind us that opera is a highly stylized art form, one that has historically represented not just musical innovation but also the excesses of elite culture. Painted in the late 20th or early 21st century, this work reflects the blurring of boundaries between high and low culture that is often cited as a hallmark of our time. Shanks was a well-respected portrait painter working in Philadelphia, while Pavarotti was a global celebrity known for his powerful voice and charismatic personality, yet this portrait does not shy away from the tenor's more theatrical qualities. The question remains open: Is it celebrating his artistry or subtly critiquing the spectacle of celebrity? In order to explore this question further, one might consult the archives of performing arts institutions, as well as biographical sources on both the artist and his famous subject.