Elise List

Elise Friederike Mathilde List (1 July 1822, Stuttgart – 4 January 1893 Munich) was a German singer and friend of Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, and Franz Liszt, who was enamored of her appearance. She appeared in the Gallery of Beauties gathered by King Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1842.

Life Elise List was born in Stuttgart as the second daughter of National Economist Friedrich List, one of the best known German economists, and Karoline Neidhard, daughter of the poet David Christoph Seybold.

In 1833, Elise and her family moved to Leipzig. They had been living in Tübingen and Stuttgart and also spent several years in the United States, where they became friends of pianist and composer Clara Schumann and her husband Robert.

In 1843, the king commissioned Joseph Karl Stieler to paint a portrait of her for the Gallery of Beauties Nymphenburg Castle. At that time, Elise met the widowed Austrian industrialist Gustav Moriz Pacher von Theinburg in Bad Ischl, whom she married on 27 March 1845. Their first daughter Leontine Meta died after only four days. In 1847 and 1848, the children Hedwig Emilie and Friedrich "Fritz" were born, and in 1852, a daughter, Cäcilie "Cilla" Karoline Katharina was born.

Elise's husband died of typhoid fever on 25 January 1852, after which Elise and her children moved to Munich.

Possibly due to the loss of her daughter in 1879, Elise fell ill for a long period of time. Although her condition improved in 1891, she died of pneumonia in 1893.