Wonder Woman of the Week: Julie D'Aubigny, La Maupin

Julie d’Aubigny, also known as La Maupin, was a legendary 17th-century French opera singer, duelist, and gender-defying icon whose life blended artistry with audacity. Born around 1670, she was the daughter of a fencing master at the court of Louis XIV, which gave her early access to swordplay and courtly education—skills highly unusual for a girl of her time. At a young age, she ran off with her fencing instructor and began performing duels and singing in taverns while dressed in men’s clothing, captivating audiences with both her swordsmanship and her beauty. Her charisma, fearlessness, and defiance of societal norms quickly made her a scandalous figure, but one whose talent could not be ignored.

D’Aubigny’s voice and stage presence eventually led her to the Paris Opera, where she performed under the name Mademoiselle de Maupin. Despite her tumultuous personal life—which included affairs with both men and women, duels with noblemen, and a famously daring rescue of a female lover from a convent—her operatic career flourished. She became known for her powerful contralto voice and her commanding performances in roles often reserved for more conventional women. Even in the refined world of opera, d’Aubigny refused to be tamed. She reportedly dueled multiple men at once, including an incident where she was sentenced to death for dueling and fled to Brussels until she was later pardoned by the king. Her life blurred the lines between performance and reality, living as boldly offstage as she did on it.

Julie d’Aubigny’s story has endured for centuries as a symbol of defiance, passion, and independence. Her ability to succeed in a highly structured and patriarchal society while openly challenging gender roles and societal expectations has made her a queer icon and feminist figure in modern retellings. Though she died young—around age 33—her legend continues through opera, literature, and popular culture. She reminds us that history is not only shaped by kings and conquerors but also by those who dared to live authentically, with fierce courage and unapologetic passion. Julie d’Aubigny’s life was a stage, and she performed it with unmatched flair—sword in one hand, aria in the other.