Louis Gueymard (1822–1880) as Robert le Diable, 1857
Jean-Désiré-Gustave Courbet (French, 1819–1877)
Oil on canvas; 58 1/2 x 42 in. (148.6 x 106.7 cm)
Gift of Elizabeth Milbank Anderson, 1919 (19.84)
Technical Glossary
Jean-Désiré-Gustave Courbet (French, 1819–1877)
Oil on canvas; 58 1/2 x 42 in. (148.6 x 106.7 cm)
Gift of Elizabeth Milbank Anderson, 1919 (19.84)
This portrait, shown in the Salon of 1857, depicts the tenor Louis Gueymard in his most famous part, the title role of Meyerbeer's opera Robert le Diable. The setting is the cavern where Robert plays dice with two servants of the devil while his father Bertram, an evil genius, looks on. In this scene, he sings about the dangers of the lust for gold in the aria "Oui, l'or est une chimère" ("Yes, gold is a chimera").
Open full-size image
Related Index Terms
Artist
Material and Technique
- • Painting, Oil on Canvas
- • Painting, Oil on Canvas, Europe
- • Painting, Oil on Canvas, Europe, France
- • Portrait, Painting
