Pierre Jelyotte playing guitar - Inedited Portrait

A visitor sent me the picture of a beautiful portrait he owns to display on Rameau le Site. It's a portrait of Pierre Jelyotte playing guitar. Here's the LINK.

Pierre Jelyotte (1713-1797) was a haute-contre (i.e. high tenor) singer who performed the main roles in Rameau and Mondonville's great operas. He had a very beautiful voice, described as crystal clear and velvety, and a wide range. He was a gifted actor and musician, and could play various instruments - violin, harpsichord, organ, guitar... He composed numerous songs, most of them lost now, and an opera, Zélisca (performed in Versailles in 1746). In 1745 the king named him guitar master, and, in 1753, theorbo master of the Chamber Orchestra. He was madame de Pompadour music teacher.

His reputation was of a very charming and kind man, always nice, happy and delicate, with good manners. Great artist and great human being, his qualities made of him the biggest star of the 18th-century French opera. People loved him so much that in 1753, when he announced his retirement from opera, his public collected money and negociated his stay for two more years.

Jelyotte kept singing and participating in musical events until 1765. He was pensionned by the king in 1780.