This image is a detailed sketch of a man's profile, depicting his head and part of his upper torso. The man is facing left, with his side profile prominently displayed. His facial features include a prominent brow and a strong, slightly aquiline nose. He has a bald head, with hair visible on the sides and around the back. His facial hair includes a thick sideburn. The man is dressed in a dark garment, possibly a coat, with a high collar that is visible. The background of the sketch is plain, with shading that emphasizes the contour of his figure and the depth of the depiction.
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This image is a detailed sketch of a man's profile, depicting his head and part of his upper torso. The man is facing left, with his side profile prominently displayed. His facial features include a prominent brow and a strong, slightly aquiline nose. He has a bald head, with hair visible on the sides and around the back. His facial hair includes a thick sideburn. The man is dressed in a dark garment, possibly a coat, with a high collar that is visible. The background of the sketch is plain, with shading that emphasizes the contour of his figure and the depth of the depiction.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

Adolph Menzel

Karl Stauffer-Bern

Date
1885
Medium
charcoal and graphite with stumping and scraped corrections, touched with yellow pastel, on tan wove paper, indented for transfer
Dimensions
sheet: 29.1 x 21.8 cm (11 7/16 x 8 9/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
2007.111.41
Credit line
Wolfgang Ratjen Collection, Purchased as the Gift of Merritt P. Dyke
Time span
1876 to 1900
Department
CG-E

Subjects and terms

  • German
  • Portrait
  • Face
  • Man
  • Writing
Provenance

(sale, Galerie Kornfeld, Bern, 22 June 1990, no. 984); Wolfgang Ratjen, Munich; purchased 2007 by NGA.

Inscription

signed, dated, and dedicated at lower right in graphite: Herrn H. Paechter/freundschaftl. von/Stauffer Bern/85.; at lower center: gez. Mittwoch 11 Nov. 11-1 Uhr im Atelier/von A. Menzel

Watermarks

none

NGA object ID 139129. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.