[Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus].

showing the seven-year-old Wolfgang seated at the harpsichord, his father Leopold standing behind him, playing the violin, and his sister Maria Anna ('Nannerl') in the background singing, the portrait titled below ("[L]eopold Mozart, Pere de Marianne Mozart, Virtuose âgée de onze ans [e]t de J.G. Wolfgang Mozart, Compositeur et Maitre de Musique âgé de sept ans",



c.35 x 20cm, engraved on thick, laid paper, [Paris, 1764], cropped around the image, some surface loss, laid down on card, tears affecting the engraver's signature and date, some browning

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

One of the most famous of all musical portraits, the 1764 engraving by Jean-Baptiste Delafosse (1721-1775) after the watercolour by Louis Carrogis de Carmontelle (1717-1806).

Leopold Mozart's letters reveal that the watercolour was executed several times in Paris in November 1763, and that the engraving was prepared the following spring with the assistance of the artist Christian von Mechel (1737-1817), an acquaintance of the Mozarts (it was possibly engraved by Mechel and simply signed by Delafosse). Copies of the print were subsequently used for publicity purposes by Leopold during the remainder of the family's great European journey of 1763-1766. No copy of the print has been traced in the British Library. (See King, A Mozart Legacy and Mozart in the British Museum).