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Portrait of French actor Louis Guéymard in the title role of Giacomo Meyerbeer's Robert le diable, in the last scene of Act 1 in which Robert gambles with dice, loses his entire estate, and sings the aria "L’or est une chimère" (Gold is an illusion). Loosely based on a medieval legend, this opera in five acts tells of a young man who turns to sorcery to stop his beloved from marrying the Prince of Granada. Robert le diable was first performed in 1831 and remained a favourite in opera houses throughout the nineteenth century; this painting, for instance, is based on an 1857 performance. In recent years, the opera has seen a revival.Painting: Gustave Courbet (courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)