176 - Adolph Menzel (1815 Breslau – Berlin 1905), Study of a Garment.

Adolph Menzel (1815 Breslau – Berlin 1905), Study of a Garment. Charcoal and pastel on brown vellum. (18)52. Approx. 31.5 x 24 cm. Monogrammed and dated in the upper left corner. We thank Dr. Claude Keisch, Berlin, for confirming the authenticity based on a digital photograph. With bold strokes, Adolph Menzel models the heavy folds of fabric draped around the figure’s body. The face remains hidden; the hands and body are only hinted at. Menzel’s entire focus is on the garment: the interplay of deep shadows and brightly lit folds, the weight of the fabric, and its movement. Dark areas and sparingly applied light and reddish accents lend the depiction an astonishing sense of three-dimensionality. This study of the robe, created in 1852, is related to Menzel’s depiction of the twelve-year-old Christ in the Temple. The starting point was the pastel dated 1851, “The Christ Child in the Temple (Jesus Among the Scribes),” which is now in the collection of the Hamburger Kunsthalle. Menzel produced several preparatory studies for a planned large-format version; this drawing served to develop the figure of Mary. In the summer of 1852, he also reproduced the composition as a schabkunst lithograph. This focus on a single detail is characteristic of Menzel’s working method. The fabric and drapery are closely examined for their visual impact. Light accents highlight individual folds, while the dark areas create depth and volume. The lines, which remain unfilled in places, preserve the immediate character of the study. The sheet has a special history due to its provenance. It was part of the collection of Max Liebermann, who held Menzel in exceptionally high regard. In 1926, Liebermann loaned the drawing to the “Exhibition of Older and Newer Berlin Art” in Nuremberg; in 1929, it was on view in the exhibition “One Hundred Years of Berlin Art in the Work of the Association of Berlin Artists” in Berlin. It later entered the collection of the art historian and museum director Eberhard Hanfstaengl. Thus, the drawing not only offers direct insight into Menzel’s drawing process; having later been part of Max Liebermann’s collection, it also has a remarkable collection history. The work is free of restitution claims. A fair and equitable solution was reached with the heirs of Max and Martha Liebermann. We thank the representatives of the heirs for their excellent cooperation and kind support. Bibliography: Faass, Martin (ed.), Lost Treasures: The Art Collection of Max Liebermann, Berlin 2013, no. 133. Exhibitions: Exhibition of Older and Newer Berlin Art, Albrecht Dürer Society, Nuremberg, 1926; One Hundred Years of Berlin Art in the Work of the Berlin Artists’ Association, Berlin, 1929. Provenance: Otto Herrmann Claass Collection (1849–1934); Paul Cassirer/Helbing Gallery, Berlin/Munich, November 21, 1916, no. 223; Max Liebermann, Berlin (until at least 1926); Dr. Eberhard Hanfstaengl Collection, Munich; Hauswedell & Nolte, June 9–10, 1983, Lot 970; Private collection, Northern Germany. Taxation: subject to margin scheme (VAT: Margin Scheme).