Exhibitions

Menzel's Soldiers. Images of War

From 13 Oct 2014 to 17 Jan 2015

Exhibition showcasing the work of Adolph Menzel (1815-1905) with a particular focus on his poignant watercolours and drawings in response to his direct encounters with soldiers.

Along with Caspar David Friedrich, Menzel is considered one of the two leading German artists of the 19th century, and his talent earned him the respect of French artist Edgar Degas who dubbed him "the greatest living master."

Featuring scenes of death and dying, the exhibited works were the result of Menzel's visits to military hospitals and the battlefields of Königsgrätz in 1866, the arrival of French prisoners of war in Berlin in 1870, and the opening of the officers' crypt beneath the Garrison Church in Berlin in 1873.

The works on show display the artist's skilled hand but reveal a cool detachment from his subjects who are portayed with jarring realism and little dignity.

Tues-Sun 10.00-18.00. Thurs 10.00-20.00