Young Lady at a Ball, eating from a Plate

Adolph von Menzel

1815 Breslau - 1905 Berlin

Graphite, partly with stumping. Signed with monogram. Sheet size: 21 x 13.5 cm.

Provenance: Estate of the artist (no. 18603); In a private collection in Baden for 80 years.

This is a study of a detail to one of Menzel’s main works, The Ballsouper (1887) today in the Nationalgalerie, Berlin. Our drawing is part of a series of so-called ball studies, which Menzel made in preparation of the painting. (See Werner Hofmann, Menzel der Beobachter, Hamburg 1982, cat. no. 116, 160, 162). On the subject of the initially empty, open foreground of the painting, Menzel said: “... I am not worried about that; that will be for the white stuff – the whipped cream – the ladies…” (Quoted from: Max Jordan, Adolf Menzel, in: Kunst für Alle, vol. xx, 1904-5, p. 269 f). This is a reference to the young ladies at the ball, whom he developed in a series of studies. The latter, like the present drawing, were eventually incorporated into the finished painting.

Bought within the art trade.