Building Site with Willows 1846

Adolph Menzel created this painting with oils on canvas. Menzel’s painting technique involves layering thin applications of paint, building up the image in stages. You can see this especially in the blurry background, where the construction site is. The material qualities of oil paint – its viscosity, transparency, and capacity for blending – are exploited to create a sense of depth and atmosphere. Brushwork is evident throughout, conveying a sense of immediacy and the artist's direct engagement with the subject. The painting has social and cultural significance, as it captures a moment of urban transformation. The presence of the construction site reflects a period of industrialization and urban expansion in Berlin. The workers on the roof are depicted in a rather diminutive way, highlighting the human cost of progress. Paying attention to the materials and processes of art helps us to understand its connections to society and labor, moving beyond traditional aesthetic concerns.