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DiaporamaAltar in a Baroque Church
1890
50.0 x 61.0 cm
Menzel was renowned during his lifetime and celebrated especially for scenes illustrating life at the royal court of Prussia. The two works by him included in this exhibition, however, belong to the now-famous body of the artist’s private, unexhibited works, which the public only came to know after his death. In the present work, Menzel laid out the altar and stairs of an unidentified Baroque church interior in great detail with blue pencil, before adding figures into the perspectival construction. Unfinished, this rare example of a painting on wood reveals Menzel’s habit of building atmospheric effects first, which for him meant starting with the background. Using a mosaiclike alla prima approach, he covered the area he planned to work on next with a brown tonal wash. On the right side of the picture, the altar niche, pendant lamps, and praying figure have been brought close to a finished state.
Adolph von Menzel (1815 – 1905)
Adolph von Menzel (1815-1905) was a leading German Realist painter, celebrated for his detailed depictions of 19th-century life & industrial scenes. Discover his masterpieces and influence on artists like Degas.
About this artwork
- Title: Altar in a Baroque Church
- Artist: Adolph von Menzel
- Year: 1890
- Original dimensions: 50.0 x 61.0 cm
- Format: Landscape
- Copyright status: Public domain
- Color hue: Green Spectrum
- Color intensity: Monochromatic
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