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Henrik Plötz: Catalogue of the 4 Most Famous Paintings
Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 4 works by Henrik Plötz in our catalogue
Summary
Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher (1785) is recorded as the most famous painting of Henrik Plötz; it is held by the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. Portrait of Prince Willem George Frederik (1795) and Portrait of a woman (1800) occupy the second and third entries. Of the 4 works by Henrik Plötz recorded in the catalogue, the 4 best known are listed below, each entry with its date, the holding museum and a note on the work.
1747 – 1830, Pinneberg
Most works: Nationalmuseum
Entries 1 to 10: the most famous Henrik Plötz paintings
Henrik Plötz: holding museums
The 2 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Henrik Plötz | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Nationalmuseum |
Stockholm | 2 | Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher, King Khristian VII of Denmark and Norway |
 Rijksmuseum |
Amsterdam | 2 | Portrait of Prince Willem George Frederik, Portrait of a woman |
Decade index: the principal Henrik Plötz painting of each
Works per decade
Select a decade to display its principal painting.
Questions frequently consulted on Henrik Plötz's paintings
What is the best-known work of Henrik Plötz?Display the answer
Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher (1785), Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. The following entries are Portrait of Prince Willem George Frederik (1795) and Portrait of a woman (1800).
How old was Henrik Plötz in the year of Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher?Display the answer
38 years: Henrik Plötz was born in 1747 and Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher is dated 1785.
How many works by Henrik Plötz does the catalogue record?Display the answer
The catalogue records 4 works by Henrik Plötz, dated between 1785 and 1800.
Where are the principal works of Henrik Plötz held?Display the answer
Principally in Nationalmuseum (Stockholm) and Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam). The museum table above gives the full distribution.
What are the earliest and latest best-known works by Henrik Plötz?Display the answer
The earliest dated work listed here is Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher (1785); the latest is Portrait of a woman (1800).
Which paintings by Henrik Plötz does the Nationalmuseum hold?Display the answer
Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher and King Khristian VII of Denmark and Norway are among the 2 works on this page in the collection of the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.
Biography of Henrik Plötz
The Life and Versatility of Henrik Plötz
Henrik Plötz was a multifaceted German artist and inventor born in Pinneberg. His diverse talents spanned several disciplines, as he was a painter, flautist, and miniaturist. His early life was marked by significant transitions; after losing his parents at a young age, he was raised by the Danish General Caesar Lüttichau, who ensured he received flute lessons in Fredericia. By 1768, he secured a position in the Royal Chapel in Copenhagen. However, his musical career was altered after a journey to Switzerland, where an illness prevented him from playing the flute further.
Following this, Plötz turned his focus toward visual arts and mechanics. He studied under an enamel painter and later with the mechanician P. J. Droz. His intellectual pursuits led him to Genthod, where he worked with the naturalist Charles Bonnet, creating plates of insects and plants and assisting with botanical and mechanical experiments.
Mechanical Innovations and Artistic Legacy
Plötz was a man of profound technical curiosity, known for inventing precision instruments. He developed a physionotrace and a pantograph to create profile portraits with mechanical accuracy. His inventive spirit continued in Naples and later in Berlin, where he shared an atelier with Christian Hornemann. In 1799, he moved to Copenhagen to serve as a court mechanician under Christian Günther von Bernstorff. During his time in Copenhagen, he invented various devices, including a stamping machine designed to produce non-copyable banknotes.
His artistic output was notable for its dedication to the European tradition of miniature painting. His legacy also extended through his family, as his son, Carl Ludwig, followed in his footsteps as a miniature painter.