Unmade Bed

In 1846/7, Menzel painted a view of his bedroom, located at Ritterstrasse 43 in Berlin. Although covered by a hastily thrown thin quilt, the bed nevertheless remains a very prominent feature dominating the foreground in front of a brightly-lit window. Embedded in the seemingly coincidental composition of the picture is an early indication of Menzel’s strength of personality, which ensures the space he has created for himself stands out from the unthreateningly generic qualities of the Biedermeier interior. Our drawing of the bed also derives its fascinating power from the silent eloquence with which the artist almost defiantly creates a representation of banal, everyday reality.