Boyhood Portrait / W. A. Mozart in formal attire

A young boy stands before a keyboard, dressed in a luxurious lilac court costume.

Despite his youth, he exudes a somewhat mature and solemn aura. The attire he wears was a hand-me-down from a real archduke, gifted by Empress Maria Theresa, who was astonished by his talent.

However, the creation process of this portrait was a little unusual.

First, the painter completed only the luxurious costume, background, and instrument on the canvas. It was only after the foundation of the painting was entirely finished that the boy posed for his face to be added.

This was because in 1763, when this painting was created, he was on the verge of embarking on a grueling three-and-a-half-year grand European concert tour with his father.

Amidst such a busy schedule, there likely wasn't time for him to sit as a model at leisure.

Therefore, upon close observation of this painting, one notices a strange incongruity. As a result of fitting his face to the proportions of the grand costume, the proportions of his forehead and jaw are not those of a seven-year-old child, but rather those of an adult skeleton.

Furthermore, the shape of his nose is unnaturally distorted, and the focus of his left and right eyes is subtly misaligned, leaving several unnatural errors that suggest it was hastily added later.

The ambition of his father, who wanted to present the world with the image of a perfect 'child prodigy'.

And then, Mozart, bearing those immense expectations on his small shoulders, about to embark on a journey into the world, swaying in a carriage.

This slightly disjointed and unbalanced portrait perhaps still conveys to us the poignant truth of a young boy who was being pushed into the adult-made framework of 'genius',
his endearing true self, even today.