The Berlin-Potsdam Railway

The Potsdam railway line was opened after five years’ work in 1838, that is to say during the pioneering years of this new means of transport, which furnished Menzel throughout his life with subjects for his paintings and drawings. As may be seen from an earlier drawing of 1845, at first Menzel was only interested in the sharp curve of the tracks through the countryside which was disturbed by the arrival of transport technology. In the painted version, he added the locomotive with its string of cars, filling the air with grey smoke.