Farinelli (Carlo Broschi)

The castrato Farinelli (1705–1782) was one of the greatest opera singers of the eighteenth century. Born Carlo Broschi, he moved to Naples in 1717 to study singing. He made his stage debut in 1720 and his fame quickly spread across Italy and Europe. This portrait dates from 1734, the year he came to London at the invitation of the Opera of the Nobility and where he achieved incredible success, earning over £5,000 in just this one season.