Du Moulin in Peasant Garb Dancing at the Opera

Art Historical Context

Step into the lively world of 18th French opera with *Du Moulin in Peasant Garb Dancing at the Opera*, a captivating etching and attributed to Jean Berain and Jean Mariette. This undated print (plate: 11 15/16 × 7 15/16 in.) captures a male performer mid-dance, costumed as a rustic peasant amid the grandeur of the opera stage. Berain, a renowned designer for Louis XIV's court, was celebrated for his intricate ornamentation and theatrical décors at Versailles and the Paris Opéra, while Mariette, from a dynasty of master engravers, ensured the image's exquisite detail and wide dissemination. Etching and engraving techniques allowed for fine lines and textures, vividly rendering the dancer's flowing garments and dynamic pose—hallmarks of Rococo flair blending elegance with playful exaggeration. Classified under Prints, Ornament & Architecture, it reflects the era's fusion of stagecraft and decorative arts, where opera was a spectacle of social satire and fantasy. This work, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of the Estate of Randolph Gunter, 1962), offers a glimpse into cultural life when performers like Du Moulin blurred class lines through costume, delighting audiences with rustic charm in opulent settings. A testament to printmaking's role in preserving ephemeral performances.

About the Artist

Jean Berain|Jean Mariette · 1640–1711

**Jean Bérain the Elder (1640–1711)** was a French draughtsman, designer, painter, and engraver of ornament who served as the central artistic force in the Royal office of the Menus-Plaisirs du Roi. Born in Saint-Mihiel in the Spanish Netherlands (now France) to a master gunsmith, he spent his career in Paris and became one of the defining figures of late 17th-century French decorative arts. Béra...