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The image shows a person lying down, positioned on their side, resting on a pillow. The individual appears to be asleep, with closed eyes, slightly parted lips, and a relaxed facial expression. The person has light-colored hair, partially covered by a white nightcap, and is dressed in white nightwear with a ruffled collar. They are covered by a white blanket and their hand is partially visible near the face, with fingers interlaced. The background features a wooden headboard or furniture piece.
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The image shows a person lying down, positioned on their side, resting on a pillow. The individual appears to be asleep, with closed eyes, slightly parted lips, and a relaxed facial expression. The person has light-colored hair, partially covered by a white nightcap, and is dressed in white nightwear with a ruffled collar. They are covered by a white blanket and their hand is partially visible near the face, with fingers interlaced. The background features a wooden headboard or furniture piece.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

An Infant Asleep in His Crib

Adolph Menzel

Date
1848
Medium
pastel on brown wove paper
Dimensions
sheet: 13.9 x 21.8 cm (5 1/2 x 8 9/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
2007.111.20
Credit line
Wolfgang Ratjen Collection, Purchased as the Gift of Sharon Percy Rockefeller
Time span
1826 to 1850
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • German
  • Baby
  • Hat
  • Bed
  • Infant
Provenance

Julius Aufseesser, Berlin, 1905. [1] H. Alagheband, Munich. Wolfgang Ratjen, Munich; purchased 2007 by NGA. [1] In 1926, Aufseeser published a book on his collection, _Aus meinem Sammlerleben_, which did not include any works by Menzel. Neither did the 1-2 November 1926 sale of his collection in Berlin.

Inscription

dated at lower left in pastel: 14. Octob:/1848

Watermarks

none

NGA object ID 139131. 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.