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Primary sourcePaintingc. 1772

Voltaire Dictating to His Secretary While Dressing

Jean Huber · c. 1772

A painting by Jean Huber showing Voltaire dictating to his secretary Collini while getting dressed, made during his lifetime.

Shows Voltaire dictating to his secretary while dressing, an informal contemporary view of his working life.

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Oil painting of an interior. At left, a seated man in a brown coat writes in a ledger at a desk by a bright window. At center, a thin man in a loose white robe and white cap stands on one leg, pulling on red trousers. A spotted spaniel is at right beside a bed with yellow drapes.
Jean Huber, Voltaire dictating to his secretary Cosimo Alessandro Collini while dressing, c. 1772.

About this source

What it is

This oil painting, made around 1772 by the artist Jean Huber, shows Voltaire dictating to his secretary Cosimo Alessandro Collini while in the middle of getting dressed. Collini sits writing at a desk while Voltaire, in a loose robe, pulls on his trousers.

Why it matters

Huber painted several informal scenes of Voltaire's daily life at Ferney, and this one captures him as a working writer who kept dictating even during ordinary routines. It also records his secretary Collini, whose job was to take down his words.

Look closer

  • What does this scene suggest about how much Voltaire valued his writing time?
  • Why might an artist choose to paint a famous person in such an undignified, everyday moment?
  • What clues in the room tell you this is meant to look like real life rather than a formal portrait?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Voltaire on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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