Cornelia Scheffer, 1769 – 1839
Cornelia Scheffer: The 4 Best-Known Paintings
Of all Cornelia Scheffer's paintings, Self-portrait (1795) is the most famous; it hangs in the Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht. Close behind come Woman with Two Children on a Country Road (1811) and The Women of Souli (1833). Among the 4 works by Cornelia Scheffer in our catalogue, these 4 are the most celebrated, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated November 2026. Each painting on this page can be ordered as an oil reproduction painted by hand on linen canvas, or as a fine art print, made to the size you choose.
- Born · died
- 1769 – 1839, Dordrecht
- Works in our catalogue
- 4
- Most famous
- Self-portrait (1795)
- Most works at
- Dordrechts Museum
Cornelia Scheffer's 10 most celebrated paintings
2
Woman with Two Children on a Country Road
Hand-painted oil reproduction from $203 29 × 34 cm
Same size as the original $306 60 × 73 cm Order at original size →
3
The Women of Souli
Hand-painted oil reproduction from $453 37 × 27 cm
Same size as the original $745 112 × 95 cm Order at original size →
4
Portrait of a small child presumably Karel Arnoldus Scheffer at 3 years of age
Hand-painted oil reproduction from $178 30 × 33 cm
Where Cornelia Scheffer's canvases hang
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: Cornelia Scheffer's most celebrated canvas
-
1790s
1 of 4Self-portrait
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1810s
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1830s
Canvas 3 of 4The Women of Souli
Your questions on Cornelia Scheffer's paintings, answered
Which is the most celebrated painting by Cornelia Scheffer?Read the answer
Self-portrait (1795), Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht. Woman with Two Children on a Country Road (1811) and The Women of Souli (1833) follow.
How old was Cornelia Scheffer at the time of Self-portrait?Read the answer
Cornelia Scheffer, born in 1769, was 26 years old: Self-portrait dates from 1795.
How many paintings by Cornelia Scheffer are known?Read the answer
4 works by Cornelia Scheffer are in our catalogue, dated 1795 to 1833.
Which museums hold Cornelia Scheffer's best-known canvases?Read the answer
Mostly in Dordrechts Museum (Dordrecht); the list above names each museum and its canvases.
What are the first and the last of Cornelia Scheffer's famous canvases?Read the answer
The earliest canvas here is Self-portrait (1795); the latest is The Women of Souli (1833).
What can I see by Cornelia Scheffer at the Dordrechts Museum?Read the answer
The Dordrechts Museum, Dordrecht holds 4 of the works on this page, among them Self-portrait, Woman with Two Children on a Country Road and The Women of Souli.
Can I order a hand-painted copy of a painting by Cornelia Scheffer?Read the answer
Yes. Every painting on this page can be ordered from its own page as an oil reproduction painted by hand, or as a fine art print, in the size you choose.
Cornelia Scheffer: the painter'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.