Editing Adolph Menzel (section)

{{Short description|German artist (1815–1905)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox artist
| name             = Adolph Menzel
| image            = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R30367, Adolph von Menzel.jpg
| caption          = Adolph von Menzel in 1900
| birth_date       = {{Birth date|1815|12|8|df=yes}}
| birth_place      = [[Wrocław|Breslau]], [[Province of Silesia|Silesia]], Kingdom of Prussia
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|1905|2|9|1815|12|8|df=yes}}
| death_place      = [[Berlin]], Kingdom of Prussia
| education        = 
| known_for        = Painting and etching
| style            = [[Realism (arts)|Realism]]
| movement         = 
| spouse           = 
| signature        = Menzel autograph.png
}}

'''Adolph Friedrich Erdmann von Menzel''' (8 December 1815{{snd}}9 February 1905) was a German [[Realism (arts)|Realist]] artist noted for drawings, [[etching]]s, and paintings. Along with [[Caspar David Friedrich]], he is considered one of the two most prominent German painters of the 19th century,<ref name="f11">Fried, 11</ref> and was the most successful artist of his era in Germany.<ref name="e559-563">Eisler, 559–565</ref> First known as '''Adolph Menzel''', he was knighted in 1898 and changed his name to '''Adolph von Menzel'''.

His popularity in his native country, owing especially to his [[history paintings]], was such that few of his major paintings left Germany, as many were quickly acquired by museums in Berlin.<ref name="e559">Eisler, 559</ref> Menzel's graphic work (and especially his drawings) were more widely disseminated; these, along with informal paintings not initially intended for display, have largely accounted for his posthumous reputation.<ref name="e559-563">Eisler, 559–565</ref>

Although he traveled in order to find subjects for his art, to visit exhibitions, and to meet with other artists, Menzel spent most of his life in Berlin, and was, despite numerous friendships, by his own admission detached from others.<ref name="f5">Menzel wrote in his last will and testament: "Not only have I remained unmarried, throughout my life I have also renounced all relations with the other sex... In short, there is a lack of any kind of self-made bond between me and the outside world." Fried, 5</ref> It is likely that he felt socially estranged for physical reasons alone—he had a large head, and stood about four foot six inches (137&nbsp;cm).<ref name="f5"/><ref>See Karl Scheffler, ''Adolf Menzel: Der Mensch, das Werk'' (Berlin: Cassirer, 1915), who is of the opinion that his short stature affected his self-esteem and whole personal life.</ref>