Portret van Gilbert Duprez c. 1837 - 1838

Bernard Romain Julien created this portrait of Gilbert Duprez, a singer at the Royal Academy of Music. Duprez occupied a prominent place in the cultural landscape of 19th-century France, and this engraving provides insight into the opera world which largely catered to the elite class. Yet, it also hints at the changing status of performing artists. The way Julien portrays Duprez, there’s an attempt to elevate his status, not just as a performer, but as a man of presence and importance. Duprez's gaze is direct, his posture confident, and his clothing refined, suggesting the rising social status of artists at the time. This image captures a moment in the history of performing arts, as artists began to move towards becoming public figures with significant cultural influence, and the start of the concept of celebrity.