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Portrait of 13-year-old Mozart is auctioned for 5.2 billion won

Portrait of 13-year-old Mozart is auctioned for 5.2 billion won

Posted November. 29, 2019 07:30,   

Updated November. 29, 2019 15:00

한국어

The Reuters reported on Wednesday (local time) that the portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was auctioned for four million euros at Christie's auction in Paris. The final price is much higher than the estimated range of 0.8 to 1.2 million euros before the auction.

The oil-on-canvas painting is one of the four portraits made during Mozart’s lifetime and was painted by Italian painter Giambettino Cignaroli in 1770. The artwork depicts a 13-year-old Mozart in a white wig and a red coat playing the harpsichord with the musical score. “What’s very interesting about that portrait is the musical score. It’s actually only known from that portrait, so some musicologists have said it could be the work of Mozart himself,” said a source from Christie’s.

When the portrait was produced, Mozart was traveling all over Italy with his father Leopold as he received training from various musicians and gave concerts. The portrait is known to have been commissioned by a Venetian receiver-general who saw Mozart’s organ concert in Verona.


Taek Kyoon Sohn sohn@donga.com