Mozart's Images
"If ... we consider the number of unauthenticated Mozart portraits..., our conclusion must be that had he sat for all these pictures, Köchel's catalogue of his works would have been considerably shorter." -- Otto Eric Deutsch, Mozart Scholar
There are only a dozen authentic portraits of Mozart, many of which were the results of commissions by his father. Only three portraits were painted at the artist's instigation. Because Mozart died young, we have no celebrity portraits such as we have for Beethoven and other composers. Mozart became legendary only after his death. History has sought to correct this by supplying a stream of portraits which depict our fantasies about Mozart—and rarely Mozart himself.
Of the dozen authentic portraits, only four exclusively depict Mozart: The Boy Mozart (1763), Wolfgang at Verona (1770), Mozart as Knight of the Golden Spur (1777), and the unfinished but undoubtedly most famous one, Mozart at the Pianoforte (1782), painted by his brother-in-law, Joseph Lange. The remaining portraits depict Mozart and his family, with the exception of Tea at Prince Louis-François de Conti’s. There are no (finished) portraits of Mozart playing the piano or composing music.
Young Mozart and his Sister
Oil paintings, possibly by Pietro Antonio Lorenzoni, early 1763, commissioned by Leopold Mozart. Mozart is six years old, his sister Nannerl twelve. Both children are in court costumes given to them in 1762 at the Imperial Court in Vienna. The painter executed these by first painting the surroundings and clothing, and only then having the children pose.
Leopold Mozart with Wolfgang and Maria Anna
Leopold Mozart with Mozart and Maria Anna, called Nannerl. Watercolor by Louis Carrogis de Carmontelle, Paris, November 1763. Original owned by the British Museum.
This is probably the original painting from which several copies, including an engraving, were made. The original was executed at the request of the Mozarts’ Parisian patron, Baron Melchior von Grimm.
Mozart Entertains Prince Louis-François de Conti
Tea at Prince Louis-François de Conti’s in the Temple. Oil painting by Michel Barthélemy Ollivier, Paris, summer 1766. (detail) Original owned by the Musée du Louvre, Paris
Oil painting commissioned by the prince. Mozart is seated at the harpsichord, looking rather dwarfed, about to accompany the singer Pierre Jélyotte, who is depicted tuning his guitar.
Mozart in Verona
[top] Wolfgang at Verona. Oil painting by Saverio della Rosa, Verona, 6-7 January 1770. [bottom] detail. Private Collection (Alfred Cortot, Lausanne).
This oil painting by Saverio dalla Rosa was created in 1770 for the receiver-general of Venice, Pietro Legiato. Mozart is 14 and wearing his favorite crimson coat. He is seated at a harpsichord made by Giovanni Celestius in Venice, 1583. The music on the stand, marked "molto allegro," is all that is known of the piano sonata K. 72a.
The close-up of Mozart’s hand, if an accurate depiction of his playing style, reveals a piano technique quite different from that which modern performers use today. Note how high his hand is above the keys, playing with the tip of his fingers.
Family Portrait
Family Portrait. Oil Painting by Johann Nepomuk della Croce, Salzburg, late 1780/early 1781. Original owned by the Mozarteum, Salzburg.
This oil painting by Johann Nepomuk della Croce was commissioned by Leopold Mozart at Salzburg between late autumn 1780 and early 1781. This reproduction appeared in Nissen’s (Constanze’s second husband) biography of Mozart. Wolfgang and Nannerl are shown playing four hands on a fortepiano. Leopold is shown with his violin and his quill, to signify that he is both a musician and a writer. The portrait on the wall is of Mozart’s mother, who had died four years earlier. The figure of Apollo in the background further emphasizes the musical nature of the Mozart family.
Mozart at the Pianoforte
Mozart at the Pianoforte. Unfinished Oil Painting by Joseph Lange. Vienna, probably winter 1782-3. Original owned by the Mozarteum, Salzburg.
An unfinished oil painting by Joseph Lange (Mozart’s brother-in-law), Vienna, around 1782/3. This is the most famous portrait of Mozart, in part because it is the most "romantic" and introspective depiction. Earlier portraits showed Mozart in poses—as a family member, as a Knight of the Golden Spur, in court costume. This one, had it been finished, would have shown us a contemplative Mozart at the pianoforte, natural and more "real." The fact that it remains unfinished renders it more perfect—a poignant parallel to Mozart’s own life.