Frequently Asked Questions

How many Mozart portraits exist?
No one knows. It is thought by scholars that Mozart was painted numerous times, but the historical canon is incomplete due to lost letters, wars, political upheaval and the attrition of time. There is clear evidence of portraits missing. One of the lost portraits, a miniature from 1783, is even mentioned in a letter from Nannerl Mozart.

How many Mozart portraits did Mozart have painted in Vienna during the decade that he lived there?
Again, there is incomplete data. We know that Mozart's income from 1781-1785 was lucrative due to subscription concerts, composing engagements and lessons. It is natural to assume that he would have commissioned his portrait done on more than one occasion. Additionally, Mozart's image was already copied in miniature form by 1784. The Salzburg Mozarteum is believed to have several miniatures supposedly created during the Marriage of Figaro period. Mozart's music and persona were initially very popular in Vienna, though fickle Viennese tastes later dampened local enthusiasm for his music. Mozart's great opera The Magic Flute, written in 1791, reinvigorated Mozart's status in the eyes of the Viennese and his popularity surged after his death, only to wane with advent of the Romantic period and Beethoven's groundbreaking Eroica Symphony roughly ten years later.

Are there any Mozart portraits in Prague?
Mozart gained great popularity in Prague due to his operas The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni. In 1787, shortly before the premiere of Don Giovanni at the Estates Theatre in Prague, the composer withdrew to Villa Bertramka, to finish the last parts of his opera in peace. Originally a vineyard estate outside the walls of the city, Bertramka was the romantic summer residence of his friends, the Du�eks, the popular and culturally adept couple whose social list included the finest circles of Czech high society. This idyllic setting inspired Mozart to compose the concert aria and scene for soprano Bella mia fiamma, addio K.528, which he dedicated to his hostess, the outstanding soprano Josepha Duschek.

At the end of the summer of 1791, Mozart was again in residence at Bertramka when he returned to Prague to rehearse his coronation opera on La clemenza di Tito. It was in Prague that Mozart fell alarmingly ill with what is now suspected to be the illness that killed him. After his death, his sons also spent a part of their childhood here, especially the eldest, Karl Thomas, who lived for more than five years in Prague.

Today, as Prague has grown, Bertramka borders on the city centre. The part of the villa that served as the living quarters is now a museum, featuring a permanent exhibition on W. A. Mozart and the Duscheks. Remarkably, Bertramka is preserved in more or less the same state as Mozart knew it.

With such a high level of popularity as a musical icon, it is probable that an unknown portrait of Mozart may exist somewhere in Prague, perhaps as a portrait painted during a soiree at Bertramka, or perhaps as a "street" image painted during one of Mozart's frequent visits. Somehow, it seems unnatural that Mozart's "Praguers" would fail to preserve the image of their most famous composer. Prague remains a possible treasure trove for Mozart artifact hunters. With the fall of communism, the area remains largely unexplored for both Mozart autographs and portraiture.