This picture of Beethoven at work, painted about 1890, captures the conception of him that grew strong after his death: the solitary genius wrestling with his celestial art, oblivious to the worldly disarray around him. The picture, however, conveys an irony: One thing Beethoven could not do late in his career, given his deafness, was try out each musical idea at the piano. The Granger Collection, NYC. All rights reserved.