Plate four, from Radierversuche 1844

Adolph Menzel created this etching, plate four from Radierversuche, meaning Etching Experiments, sometime in the mid-19th century. The image shows a slice of working-class life, seemingly un-staged: A group of figures populates a wooden construction, with some children playing on the ground. The looming tower in the background hints that this construction may be part of a building site. Menzel was working in Prussia at a time of great social change and rising class consciousness. His work often depicts the lives of ordinary people, not just the nobility and high-ranking officials, and this makes him an important figure in the development of social realism. It is an approach that reflected a broader shift in the cultural and artistic landscape. Art historians delve into archives, letters, and social histories to better understand the role of artwork like this and what they can tell us about the people and institutions of their time.