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List of the 4 Most Famous Paintings by Cornelia Scheffer
Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 4 works by Cornelia Scheffer in our catalogue
Summary
The most widely known painting by Cornelia Scheffer is Self-portrait (1795), in the collection of the Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht. The next entries are Woman with Two Children on a Country Road (1811) and The Women of Souli (1833). The catalogue documents 4 works by Cornelia Scheffer; the 4 entries below are the best known, listed in rank order with date, holding museum and description.
1769 – 1839, Dordrecht
Most works: Dordrechts Museum
Cornelia Scheffer: the 10 principal paintings
Cornelia Scheffer: holding museums
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Cornelia Scheffer | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Dordrechts Museum |
Dordrecht | 4 | Self-portrait, Woman with Two Children on a Country Road, The Women of Souli |
Cornelia Scheffer: principal painting of each decade
Works per decade
Select a decade to display its principal painting.
Cornelia Scheffer's paintings: reference questions
Which painting by Cornelia Scheffer is the most widely known?Display the answer
Self-portrait (1795), Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht. The following entries are Woman with Two Children on a Country Road (1811) and The Women of Souli (1833).
What was the age of Cornelia Scheffer when Self-portrait was painted?Display the answer
26 years: Cornelia Scheffer was born in 1769 and Self-portrait is dated 1795.
How many works by Cornelia Scheffer are documented?Display the answer
The catalogue records 4 works by Cornelia Scheffer, dated between 1795 and 1833.
Which museums hold the best-known paintings of Cornelia Scheffer?Display the answer
Principally in Dordrechts Museum (Dordrecht). The museum table above gives the full distribution.
Which are the earliest and latest dated works by Cornelia Scheffer on this list?Display the answer
The earliest dated work listed here is Self-portrait (1795); the latest is The Women of Souli (1833).
Which works by Cornelia Scheffer are in the collection of the Dordrechts Museum?Display the answer
Self-portrait, Woman with Two Children on a Country Road and The Women of Souli are among the 4 works on this page in the collection of the Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht.
Cornelia Scheffer: biographical notes
A Life of Miniature Precision
Dordrecht, 1769. Cornelia Lamme enters the world as the daughter of Arie Lamme, a landscape painter whose influence likely shaped her early hands. She grows up within an artistic circle, learning the delicate nuances of portrait miniatures. Her childhood is marked by linguistic agility, mastering French, German, and English. The stability of the Dutch Republic shifts in 1787 when Prussian forces arrive; the family flees to the southern Netherlands for two years before returning home.
In October 1794, a union occurs that merges two artistic lineages. Cornelia marries Johann Baptist Scheffer. This partnership is defined by shared skill and the movement of a family through The Hague, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. She carries the title of miniature painter, working with watercolor and gouache on ivory to capture the likenesses of her own kin.
The Move to Paris
The year 1809 brings a sudden fracture. Johann dies at age 45. The financial weight of the family shifts. Following the death of her husband, Cornelia moves to Brussels, and by 1811, she settles in Paris. This relocation is a calculated decision; she believes the French capital offers better prospects for an artist than the Netherlands. She brings her sons, Ary and Hendrik, into this new environment.
Life in Paris involves navigating the district of Saint-Germain under difficult financial circumstances. As her son Ary gains prominence, Cornelia finds a new rhythm within his orbit. Starting in 1821, she begins working as a copyist for him and Hendrik. She uses her brush to replicate their paintings, effectively building a personal collection of their work through duplication.
Legacy in Miniature
Cornelia’s presence in the Parisian art scene is felt through her proximity to the great figures of the era. While living with Ary in his villa near Montmartre, she likely encounters the likes of Eugene Delacroix, Theodore Gericault, and Jean Baptiste-Dominating Ingres. Her role as a mother and a copyist places her at the center of a significant artistic household.
Her technical output remains rooted in the intimate scale of her training:
- Self-portrait Cornelia Scheffer-Lamme: A 1795 painting capturing her own likeness.
- Miniature portraits of her family: Executed in watercolor and gouache on ivory, held in the Dordrechts museum.
- Genre works: Including pieces such as The women of Souli, a copy of her son's work.
She remains in Paris until her death in 1839 at age 70. She is laid to rest in the Montmartre Cemetery.