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Your Guide to the 4 Most Famous Cornelia Scheffer Paintings
Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 4 works by Cornelia Scheffer in our catalogue
In short
Cornelia Scheffer's best-known piece is Self-portrait (1795). You'll find it at the Dordrechts Museum in Dordrecht. Next on the list are Woman with Two Children on a Country Road (1811) and The Women of Souli (1833). We have 4 works by Cornelia Scheffer in our catalogue; this guide picks out the 4 best known, with the year, the museum and the story of each piece.
1769 – 1839, Dordrecht
Most works: Dordrechts Museum
The 10 Cornelia Scheffer paintings to know first
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Hand-painted oil reproduction from $200 29 × 34 cm
Same size as the original $300 60 × 73 cm Order at original size →
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Hand-painted oil reproduction from $450 37 × 27 cm
Same size as the original $733 112 × 95 cm Order at original size →
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Where you can see Cornelia Scheffer's paintings
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 |
Decade by decade: the best-known Cornelia Scheffer piece of each
Works per decade
Pick a decade to see its standout piece.
Cornelia Scheffer: quick answers about the paintings
What is Cornelia Scheffer's best-known painting?See the answer
Top of the list is Self-portrait (1795), Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht. Right behind it: Woman with Two Children on a Country Road (1811) and The Women of Souli (1833).
What age was Cornelia Scheffer when creating Self-portrait?See the answer
26 years old. Cornelia Scheffer was born in 1769, and Self-portrait dates from 1795.
How many works by Cornelia Scheffer are in your catalogue?See the answer
We have 4 works by Cornelia Scheffer in our catalogue, dated 1795 to 1833.
In which museums can you see Cornelia Scheffer's famous works?See the answer
You'll find most of them in Dordrechts Museum (Dordrecht). The museum list above has the full breakdown.
What are Cornelia Scheffer's first and last famous pieces?See the answer
The earliest piece here is Self-portrait (1795); the most recent is The Women of Souli (1833).
Which famous Cornelia Scheffer paintings are at the Dordrechts Museum?See the answer
You can see 4 of the pieces on this page at the Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht, including Self-portrait, Woman with Two Children on a Country Road and The Women of Souli.
Where can I order a Cornelia Scheffer reproduction?See the answer
Yes. Every painting on this page is available as a hand-painted oil reproduction or a print, in the size that suits you. Just open the painting's page to order.
Cornelia Scheffer's story
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.