La Maupin: Sword, Stage, and Scandal in the Court of Louis XIV

Julie d'Aubigny, known as La Maupin, remains one of the most extraordinary figures of 17th-century France-a woman who defied every convention of her era. This comprehensive biography separates documented history from enduring legend, revealing the opera singer who maintained a fifteen-year career at the Académie Royale de Musique while scandalizing Louis XIV's court.Born into the royal household around 1673, Julie received an unprecedented education in swordsmanship and academics. Her tumultuous life included a death sentence for arson and kidnapping (prosecuted as a man), royal pardon through aristocratic intervention, and alleged exemption from dueling laws. She created roles in major operatic premieres by André Campra, helped establish the contralto voice in French Baroque opera, and conducted passionate relationships with both men and women-including the Marquise de Florensac, whose death prompted Julie's retirement.Drawing on archival records from the Paris Opéra, legal documents, and contemporary accounts, this book argues that Julie's genuine significance lies not in sensational anecdotes but in her verifiable artistic contributions. It examines the legal paradoxes surrounding her case, the gender assumptions that shaped her prosecution, and the methodological challenges of recovering transgressive women's lives from biased historical sources.