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Primary sourcePaintingApril 1789

Silverpoint Drawing of Mozart by Doris Stock

Doris (Dora) Stock · April 1789

A tiny 1789 silverpoint sketch made from life during Mozart's visit to Dresden, the last confirmed portrait of him.

This is the last authenticated portrait made of Mozart from life, sketched during a social visit in Dresden.

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Oval grey-toned pencil or silverpoint portrait in profile facing left of a man with curly hair tied back at the nape, wearing a high-collared coat with a white cravat at the neck. Hatched shading on the background.
Doris Stock, silverpoint portrait of Mozart, April 1789. Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum, Salzburg.

About this source

What it is

This small silverpoint drawing on ivory board, only about 7.6 by 6.0 centimetres, was made by Doris (Dora) Stock in Dresden in April 1789, when Mozart visited the Körner family home during his journey to Berlin. It is held by the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum in Salzburg.

Why it matters

This is considered the last securely authenticated likeness of Mozart made during his lifetime, making it an especially valuable record for historians trying to know what he actually looked like, compared with later idealised images. It also shows how Mozart was sketched informally during social visits, not only in formal commissioned portraits.

Look closer

  • Why might an artist choose the delicate silverpoint technique for a quick sketch from life?
  • What does the small size of the drawing suggest about the circumstances it was made in?
  • How might a sketch made during a casual visit differ from a formal commissioned portrait?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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