When I picked up a French maximum card commemorating the 200th anniversary of Mozart’s death, I thought, “What a beautiful design!” Last time I featured Beethoven stamps — today, let’s explore the world of Mozart stamps!
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was a composer born in Salzburg, Austria. In just 35 years, he created over 600 works and traveled across Europe as a child prodigy. His music continues to be loved by people around the world to this day.
My First Mozart Stamp — A Silhouette
Like the French stamp above, my first encounter with a Mozart stamp was a silhouette design. The Austrian stamp features a simple white silhouette on an orange background. What kind of expression do you imagine Mozart had?
The Most Famous Portrait of Mozart
The portrait I picture when I hear “Mozart” is the oil painting by Barbara Krafft (April 1, 1764 – September 28, 1825), a Czech-born Austrian painter, completed in 1812.
To mark the 200th anniversary of Mozart’s death in 1991, France and Austria issued booklets combining this portrait with stamps.
While many portraits of Mozart survive, few were painted from life with certainty. This painting was created 28 years after Mozart’s death, based on a family portrait by Johann Nepomuk della Croce, painted between late 1780 and early 1781 at the request of Mozart’s father.
Austria also issued a miniature sheet featuring Mozart’s birthplace in Salzburg at center and the “Mozart Fountain” sculpture in Vienna at right — a work by Carl Wollek inspired by The Magic Flute, the opera Mozart premiered in 1791.
Young Mozart
A stamp from the Central African Republic depicts young Mozart playing violin.
A Belgian FDC shows the family performing together. Mozart began playing the harpsichord at age three.
1991 — The “Mozart Year”
1991 marked 200 years since Mozart’s death, and commemorative stamps were issued around the world. A rare coin-illustrated cover was issued by Czechoslovakia, celebrating both the Prague premiere of La Clemenza di Tito on September 6, 1791, and the 200th anniversary of Mozart’s death.
Liechtenstein issued a watercolor-style design.
Chile’s stamp features a close-up of hands — you can see the keyboard of a period piano.
Israel’s FDC shows a sideways portrait with a slightly wistful expression.
2006 — The 250th Birthday Stamps
Karel Svolinsky’s Mozart
Karel Svolinsky also depicted Mozart. A stamp featuring Mozart appeared in Czechoslovakia’s 1981 series of famous figures.
A World of Mozart Stamps
In this article, I introduced Mozart stamps from France, Austria, Portugal, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Chile, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Czechoslovakia, Israel, and the Central African Republic.
Two milestones — the 200th anniversary of his death (1991) and the 250th anniversary of his birth (2006) — prompted the world to celebrate Mozart, and each country’s character shines through in their stamp designs.
Classic portraiture, watercolor, monochrome silhouette, engraving, contemporary art… The same musician portrayed in so many different ways reflects just how deeply Mozart’s music has touched hearts across the globe.
♪ Come visit the Music section of Postio Marche to find stamps featuring Mozart and other great composers!