Portret van Philippe Quinault 1824

Jean Bonvoisin created this print of Philippe Quinault sometime between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In it, we see Quinault framed in an oval, his name engraved beneath him. But who was Quinault, and why was he memorialized in this way? Quinault was a celebrated playwright and librettist in the court of Louis XIV. He provided the words for many of Jean-Baptiste Lully's most famous operas. These works were vital in establishing French opera as a distinct national tradition. Bonvoisin's print places Quinault within a lineage of great French cultural figures, subtly bolstering national identity. Prints like this one served an important public role in disseminating images of cultural icons. Analyzing such works, especially when combined with archival research into the institutions that produced and collected them, allows us to better understand the social and cultural values of the time.