Clara Schumann, née Wieck (1819 - 1896), wife

Clara Wieck (1819 - 1896) at the age of 13
Pencil drawing by Eduard Fechner, 1832
Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau

Clara is the middle of these three girls in this picture.

Clara Wieck with her Vater Friedrich Wieck
Pencil drawing by Eduard Fechner, 1832
Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau

This study by Fercher presents Clara (with pinned up hair) ath the piano, bent over her (in double finish), her father and instructor Friedrich Wieck.

Clara Wieck as 12 years old
Lithograph by Eduard Clemens Fechner, Paris 1832
Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau

Among numerous sketches that show Clara with other young girls or her father in Paris, Fercher, the brother in law of Friedrich, also produced a – lost – painting of the 12 year old child genius. This painting served as a model for a litography of which Fercher sent six printings to Wieck.

Clara Wieck at the age of 15
Litography by Julius Giere, Hannover 1835
Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau

This litography was produced during her very successful performance at the royal court in Hannover. The music notebook in front of her shows the solo part with the beginning of the third movement of her piano concert A minor op. 7, which was neither available in printed version nor entirely performed in public. The debut performance was conducted by Felix Mendellsohn Bartholdy on 9th November 1835and took place in the Gewandhaus in Leipzig.

Clara Wieck (1819 - 1896) at the age of 16
Oil painting, around 1835
Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau

The picture shows Clara at the time when the amicable feelings for Robert Schumann, who dissolved the engagment with Ernestine von Fricken, turned into love, sealed with the „first kiss“ in November 1835! (I.B.)

Clara Wieck (1819 - 1896) at the age of 18
Pencil drawing by Johann Heinrich Schramm, Prag, November 1837
Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau

This picture of Clara was made by the Viennese painter Schramm in Prague and was finished on 25th of November in 1837. She described this picture as the so far the most resembling portrait of her.

Clara Wieck later married Schumann, 1838
„K.K. Oesterreichische Kammer-Virtuosin und Ehrenmitglied der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde des Oesterreichischen Kaiserstaates“ (K. u. k. Austrian chamber virtuosa and honorary member of the society of friends of music in the Austrian empire.)
Litpgraphy by August Kneisel on a drawing by Cäcilie Brand
Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien

The performances in Vienna in 1837 gave Clara Wieck reason to celebrate her triumphs and ceded to many tributes.

Clara Wieck at the age of 20
Aqua coloured drawing by Johann H. Schramm, summer 1840
Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau

This picture of Clara Wieck was finished a few weeks before she turned 21 (13th of September 1840) and married Robert Schumannn on 12th September 1840.

Clara Schumann with her first born daughter Marie
Repro print on a Repro nach einer daguerreotype, Dresden, around 1844/45
Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau

The first photography of Clara Schumann.

Clara Schumann at the age of 35
Photography by Hanfstaengl, 1854
Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau

Robert Schumann requested this (framed) picture of his way for his room in Endenich, where he had it close to him until his death.