The German painter, etcher and lithographer Adolph von Menzel (1815-1905) ranks alongside Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) as one of the most innovative figures in German Art of the 19th Century. However, unlike Friedrich, who believed deeply in the romantic power of nature, Menzel believed in Realism and strove for an objective, true-to-life representation of the world. A master of drawing and various types of print-making, as well as realist painting, he created over 10,000 paintings, drawings and fine art prints, including 400 illustrations for the life of Emperor Frederick the Great. His canvases - including history paintings and genre scenes, as well as portraits - are typically well researched, acutely observant and highly detailed. His palette, treatment of light and overall style - as exemplified for instance by Living Room with the Artist's Sister (1847, Bavarian State Art Collection, Neue Pinakothek, Munich) pre-dated French Impressionism by twenty five years. Menzel now ranks alongside the best modern artists of 19th century Germany.
For full biographical notes on Adolph Menzel see part 1. For earlier works by Menzel see parts 1 - 8 also.
This is part 9 of a 10-part series on the works of Adolph Menzel:
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1886 Portrait of a man in profile black chalk 19.5 x 12 cm Private Collection |
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1886 Trees in wooden tubs graphite on paper 20.3 x 12.3 cm Kupferstichkabinett - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany |
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1886 Woman from the Tyrol graphite on paper 21.5 x 12.5 cm |
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1887 Coming out of church gouache 15 x 11 cm Private Collection |
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1887 Heads of two old men and a hand holding a cup Princeton University Art Museum |
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1887 Honorary Citizen's Diploma from Hamburg City Council to G.C. Schwabe watercolour and gouache on parchment 60.5 x 46 cm Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany |
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1887 Silent sympathy etching 29.9 x 22.5 cm (image) Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA |
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1887 Three hobos (tramps) walking on the artist's signature graphite on light brown wove paper 19.2 x 18.5 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC |
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1888 Studies of a man drinking graphite on wove paper 20.2 x 12.4 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC |
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1888 Studies of figures in profile graphite with stumping and touches of watercolour 21.5 x 14.2 cm |
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1888 Study of a woman carpenter's pencil with stumping on paper 20.3 x 12.7 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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1888 The Great Staircase at the Chateau of Pommersfelden graphite with stumping 31.2 x 22.9 cm Kupferstichkabinett - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany |
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1889 Italianisch lernen etching 25 x 29.4 cm (plate) |
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1889 Kurhausstrasse at Kissingen after a storm graphite with stumping 18.1 x 11.7 cm Kupferstichkabinett - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany |
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1889 Old man with head turned away graphite with stumping and black chalk 20.6 x 12.8 cm |
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c1889 Studies of figures, heads and hands charcoal 13.5 x 26 cm |
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1890 A sermon in the open air wood engraving 16.2 x 12.3 cm (image) Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA |
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1890 At Kissingen wood engraving 17.6 x 10.9 cm Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA |
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1890 At the spinnet wood engraving 10.8 x 13.2 cm Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA |
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1890 Hand studies with a prayer book carpenter's pencil with stumping on vellum 12.8 x 20.6 cm |
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1890 Portrait of an old woman in profile graphite and black chalk, with stumping, on light buff wove paper 20.4 x 13 cm |
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1890 Studies of a standing woman graphite with stumping 20.4 x 12.8 cm |
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1890 Study of a woman in profile Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartfoed, CT |
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1890 Study of an old lady (clearly the same figure as above) black chalk and stumping 20.6 x 13 cm |
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1890c Landscape with a washerwoman graphite with stumping on wove paper 20.5 x 12.8 cm National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC |
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1890c The right hand of the artist graphite 14.5 x 7.8 cm |
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1891 A bearded man in half-profile graphite on paper 21 x 13 cm |
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1891 A bearded man in profile graphite with stumping and black chalk 20.5 x 12.9 cm |
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1891 Contribution wood engraving 8.9 x 13.2 cm (image) Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA |
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1891 Head of a woman, downward gaze graphite with stumping and black chalk 19.8 x 12.8 cm |
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1891 Seated woman graphite with stumping and black chalk 20.5 x 12.9 cm |
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1891 Sharpening tools in a village smithy wood engraving 9.8 x 13.3 cm (image) Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA |
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1891 Study of an old woman from Magdeburg graphite on paper 22 x 13.3 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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1891 Tiger wood engraving 12.6 x 19.4 cm (image) Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA |
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1892 A young woman seated in profile black chalk and charcoal, with stumping and scraping 39.2 x 25.8 cm |
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1892 On the way through beautiful nature watercolour and gouache on paper 28 x 38 cm |
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1892 Outing in a Dinghy oil on canvas 38 x 23.5 cm Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany |
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1892 Portrait of a woman in a hat graphite with stumping and black chalk 20.8 x 13.1 cm |
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1892 Quiet corner oil on canvas mounted on wood panel 37.5 x 22.5 cm Städelsche Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie, Frankfurt, Germany |
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1892 Three studies of an elegant woman and a left hand black chalk and stumping 21 x 13.1 cm |
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1893 Breakfast buffet given by a high-class bakery in Kissingen gouache 17 x 25 cm Private Collection |
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1893 Bust of a woman, seen from behind carpenters pencil with stumping 41.4 x 28.9 cm (sheet) Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio |
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1893 Houses behind leafless trees graphite with stumping 22.9 x 31.2 cm Kupferstichkabinett - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany |
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1894 Early morning in the café gouache 18.3 x 11.7 cm Hamburger Kunsthalle, Germany |
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1894 Portrait of a man graphite and black chalk with stumping on wove paper 30.8 x 22.5 cm Detroit Institute of Arts, MI |
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1894 View of the Collegiate Church 'Unser Lieben Frau zur Alten Kapelle' in Regensburg gouache 40.2 x 26.2 cm Kupferstichkabinett - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany |
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1894 Woman with a crushed velvet hat graphite 21 x 13 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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1895 Das letzte (The last) etching on chine collé 19.5 x 14.8 cm © The Trustees of the British Museum, London |
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1895 Giovanni Boldini oil on canvas 41 x 54.5 cm © Nationalgalerie der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz |
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1895 Head of an old man, his eyes raised black chalk and stumping 13 x 7.8 cm |
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1895 Untitled graphite on cream wove paper 17.8 x 11.7 cm Detroit Institute of Arts, MI |
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1895c A priest holding a monstrance black chalk laid down on passepartout 24.5 x 15 cm Private Collection |
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1896 Farmhouse graphite on paper 22.9 x 31 cm Private Collection |