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Henrik Plötz's Most Famous Paintings: All 4, Ranked
Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 4 works by Henrik Plötz in our catalogue
In short
The Henrik Plötz painting most people know is Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher (1785), and you can see it at the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. Right after it come Portrait of Prince Willem George Frederik (1795) and Portrait of a woman (1800). Out of 4 works by Henrik Plötz in our catalogue, these 4 are the best known. Each one comes with its year, its museum and a short note on what makes it stand out.
1747 – 1830, Pinneberg
Most works: Nationalmuseum
Henrik Plötz's top 10: the pieces everyone knows
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Where you can see Henrik Plötz's paintings
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 |
One famous Henrik Plötz piece for every decade
Works per decade
Pick a decade to see its standout piece.
Henrik Plötz paintings: what people want to know
What painting is Henrik Plötz best known for?See the answer
Top of the list is Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher (1785), Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. Right behind it: Portrait of Prince Willem George Frederik (1795) and Portrait of a woman (1800).
How old was Henrik Plötz at the time of Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher?See the answer
38 years old. Henrik Plötz was born in 1747, and Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher dates from 1785.
How many Henrik Plötz works are there?See the answer
We have 4 works by Henrik Plötz in our catalogue, dated 1785 to 1800.
Which museums have Henrik Plötz's best-known paintings?See the answer
You'll find most of them in Nationalmuseum (Stockholm) and Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam). The museum list above has the full breakdown.
What are the oldest and newest famous paintings by Henrik Plötz?See the answer
The earliest piece here is Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher (1785); the most recent is Portrait of a woman (1800).
What can you see by Henrik Plötz at the Nationalmuseum?See the answer
You can see 2 of the pieces on this page at the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, including Charles Bonnet, Swizz Naturalist and Philosopher and King Khristian VII of Denmark and Norway.
Can I order a Henrik Plötz reproduction for my home?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.
Meet 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.