Menzel, Adolph von

Description:

Breslau 1815 - Berlin 1915
17 x 18,5 cm
Geheimrat Walter tritt zur Tür herein und wird von Adam und Licht untertänig begrüßt. Pen/paper, signed upper left. Preparatory drawing to the series of 30 illustrations for Heinrich von Kleists edition of Der zerbrochene Krug. Mit 30 Illustrationen und 4 Photographien nach Original-Compositionen von Adolph Menzel, Berlin, A. Hofmann & Co., 1877.
Collection Helga and Edzard Reuter, Stuttgart. Menzel normally drew directly on the woodblock, so that his drawing was lost when cutting. But for nine of the illustrations for the comedy Der zerbrochene Krug, he tried out a new method: transferring a pen and ink drawing on white paper to the woodblock by means of photography. The results were disappointing, however, so he returned to the well-tried method. This is documented by a report he wrote himself on the creation of this series of illustrations, which also lists the individual sheets in question.