# Mozart, a man with different faces. Literally



## ethanjamesescano (Aug 29, 2012)

I've just noticed how different Mozart is in every painting.
Every face of Mozart is very different, there's almost no resemblance between all of his paintings except his red coat.

































I'm confused


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

Probably just all the people claiming to be Mozart.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

You left one out.


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## Dustin (Mar 30, 2012)

I think I read the bottom one is supposed to be the most accurate.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

I can see enough similarities in 1, 4 and 5 to believe that they are probably all of Mozart. Especially 4 & 5.

Kevin


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## ethanjamesescano (Aug 29, 2012)

what do you mean Dustin?

Edit: Ah! I get it! sorry


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

It's been said that this portrait of Mozart and his sister is a fair likeness.


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## ethanjamesescano (Aug 29, 2012)

his sister is more Wolfgang than any of his portraits!! haha


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

He's funny looking.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Not just Mozart! These are the same guy?


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I remember reading somewhere that as the Mozart cult got underway, a lot of portraits where done of him after he died. That might explain a lot of this. Another thing is that apparently he wasn't as handsome as some of the portraits make him out to be. The most famous of these posthumous portraits is by Barbara Krafft, from 1819, almost thirty years after the man's death.


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## ethanjamesescano (Aug 29, 2012)

Nice info Sid! So it must be a 19th century photoshop


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

ethanjamesescano said:


> Nice info Sid! So it must be a 19th century photoshop


Some of the story behind that Krafft painting is here at the wikimedia page I got the image from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wolfgang-amadeus-mozart_1.jpg
The specific detail of the origin of the portait is new to me. It is like photoshop since it says that Krafft based the portait on three existing images.

Its interesting you bought it up. Adds to discussion of the Mozart cult. Maybe it was a bit like rock stars in our own time - you know the saying, once they're dead, they end up on a t-shirt. Well the Krafft image of Wolfie got onto something more tasty - chocolates! Wonder what the man himself would think of all this? He'd probably have a laugh.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

ethanjamesescano said:


> I've just noticed how different Mozart is in every painting.
> Every face of Mozart is very different, there's almost no resemblance between all of his paintings except his red coat.
> 
> View attachment 41058
> ...


There are only two above that are authentic, meaning painted with Mozart as the sitter. The boy at the piano, and the incomplete one at the bottom. The rest are Romantic impressions of him painted after his death.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I am afraid the sad truth is that Wolfie never existed, you poor sad people. That's the reason the pictures are all different!
I know this to be true as I got the information from a man who worked on the film set of the moon landings, and he is an expert on these things
PS please keep this to yourselves as I don't think it is common knowledge


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## trazom (Apr 13, 2009)

ArtMusic said:


> There are only two above that are authentic, meaning painted with Mozart as the sitter. The boy at the piano, and the incomplete one at the bottom. The rest are Romantic impressions of him painted after his death.


I think you missed one. I remember reading an article that sited the first portrait as being authentic, the other authentic portrait that hasn't been posted yet:


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## ethanjamesescano (Aug 29, 2012)

Then the meeting of Beethoven and Mozart never really happened?


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

ethanjamesescano said:


> Then the meeting of Beethoven and Mozart never really happened?


Beethoven traveled from Bonn to Vienna in 1787 with the intent of studying with Mozart. However his mother's illness forced him to return. If the two ever met, the meeting is unrecorded and unmentioned in the historical record.


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## ethanjamesescano (Aug 29, 2012)

Ken, isn't there a story about their meeting? Mozart was ill that time, and then he asked Ludwig to play something, and then Ludwig played a Mozart piece. And then Mozart asked Beethoven to stop, because he knew the piece so well, so Wolfie wanted to play his own piece. Mozart was impressed


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

There may be such a story, but it is not credited in any of my references...See Cooper, pp. 23-24. "...all we have is second-hand anecdotes of uncertain reliability." However, Beethoven may have heard Mozart play, since he later referred to his playing as "choppy" according to Czerny.


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## ProudSquire (Nov 30, 2011)

Clearly we need bellbottom's input to get to the bottom of this mystery.


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...rait-that-shows-musician-without-his-wig.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1581726/New-Wolfgang-Amadeus-Mozart-portrait-found.html


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Not just Mozart! These are the same guy?


In the case of Beethoven, most portraits of him show the same basic features. As someone else pointed out, most of the Mozart portraits were painted without him in attendance. 

Judged by the authentic ones, he was in any case a rather nondescript little fellow.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

#2 is actually Dave the harpsicord tuner. He walked in front of Mozart just as the portrait was being painted.


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## Oliver (Feb 14, 2012)

Sid James said:


> I remember reading somewhere that as the Mozart cult got underway, a lot of portraits where done of him after he died. That might explain a lot of this. Another thing is that apparently he wasn't as handsome as some of the portraits make him out to be. The most famous of these posthumous portraits is by Barbara Krafft, from 1819, almost thirty years after the man's death.


There is no way Mozart looked like this. It's far too pretty. It turns me on and I'm a guy...


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## Brad (Mar 27, 2014)

Haydn man said:


> I am afraid the sad truth is that Wolfie never existed, you poor sad people. That's the reason the pictures are all different!
> I know this to be true as I got the information from a man who worked on the film set of the moon landings, and he is an expert on these things
> PS please keep this to yourselves as I don't think it is common knowledge


This is very true. All of "Mozart's" music was written by various anonymous composers and collected under one name. How else do you think "Shakespeare" wrote all of those plays??


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## Serge (Mar 25, 2010)

Haydn man said:


> I am afraid the sad truth is that Wolfie never existed, you poor sad people. That's the reason the pictures are all different!
> I know this to be true as I got the information from a man who worked on the film set of the moon landings, and he is an expert on these things
> PS please keep this to yourselves as I don't think it is common knowledge


So he's more like Jesus? Well, I can see that. I like his music too!


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

Well, I knew it was too good to be true... Back to the dullness of the apparent world.


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## ethanjamesescano (Aug 29, 2012)

Brad said:


> This is very true. All of "Mozart's" music was written by various anonymous composers and collected under one name. How else do you think "Shakespeare" wrote all of those plays??


Also like Pope Gregory?


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## Brad (Mar 27, 2014)

ethanjamesescano said:


> Also like Pope Gregory?


Yes, exactly like "Pope" "Gregory"


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## SARDiver (Jan 6, 2014)

I understand Mozart looked exactly like Pinto from _Animal House_.


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## Alydon (May 16, 2012)

We don't know what Mozart actually looked like but this is one his sons.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Okay, the guy was no Brad Pitt. So what?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

hpowders said:


> View attachment 41067
> 
> 
> It's been said that this portrait of Mozart and his sister is a fair likeness.


This is one of the few portraits the Mozarts actually sat for, so one would think it's more accurate than most.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Alydon said:


> View attachment 41429
> 
> 
> We don't know what Mozart actually looked like but this is one his sons.


Interesting; so if Mozart had lived long enough, he'd have gone bald; or maybe he already was, under the wig?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

This is the full portrait the Mozart children and papa Leopold actually posed for.

Because it was done from life, it is believed to be the most accurate.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Alydon said:


> View attachment 41429
> 
> 
> We don't know what Mozart actually looked like but this is one his sons.


Seems he got his mother's talent and his father's rugged good looks.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Not far off.


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

hpowders said:


> View attachment 41442
> 
> 
> This is the full portrait the Mozart children and papa Leopold actually posed for.
> ...


Okay guys, on the count of three say cheese. 1… 2… 3… Cheese. Great! Now, hold it for a couple more hours while I paint you all…


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## Alydon (May 16, 2012)

Ingélou said:


> Interesting; so if Mozart had lived long enough, he'd have gone bald; or maybe he already was, under the wig?


I think it is fascinating to have this photographic image which somehow brings us a direct link to the great composer.


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## Guest (May 8, 2014)

KenOC said:


> Not just Mozart! These are the same guy?


Yes, which one represents his "bad hair day"?


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Same with Haydn:





































Haydn looks like Mozart in the 4th one, imo .


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I don't know about those other likenesses, but this one will always say Haydn to me.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Deleted. Duplicate.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Vaneyes said:


> Not far off.


One of those rare daguerreotypes, no doubt. Lucky to have it.


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## Cheyenne (Aug 6, 2012)

Huneker wrote about this in his notes to Charles. E. Chamber's depiction of Mozart's death, on display in Steinway Hall. "Like all celebrated men, Mozart had his legend. For one thing, he did not in life resemble his portraits. Beethoven is another victim of the whim of the painters, who made of him a mawkish posing hero. In reality he was a peasant as to exterior, and his rough manners did not dispel the impression; but a sublime peasant. Mozart must have revealed a more attractive personality. Yet he was neither imposing nor handsome. Insignificant in figure, his mobile features atoned for his lack of presence. Nevertheless, we are usually shown a Mozart of archangelic beauty, a beauty more feminine than virile, and with little suggestion of the mercurial man whose music may be called immortal."

Somehow his lack of presence always fit with my image of Mozart -- but who knows.


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## bobsgrock (Jul 4, 2013)

According to biographies, the unfinished portrait was painted by his brother-in-law, Joseph Lange, who later married Aloysia Weber, Mozart's first love and older sister of his future wife, Constanze. This alone should prove it as being the most accurate.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

"Haydn suffered throughout his life from nasal polyps, which meant that his nose had a rather bulbous and disfigured look to it." Haydn considered himself less than good-looking, and wondered that women still seemed attracted to him. Given his wife, it was probably a blessing.


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