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Adolph Friedrich Erdmann von Menzel

The Card Game

1899
Graphite and fabricated black chalk, with stumping, erasing, and scraping, with touches of brush and black ink, on cream wove paper, edge mounted on ivory wove card
19.8 × 26.7 cm (7.8 × 10.5 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Menzel often chose to depict complex social situations, no doubt to test his powers of observation. From the absolute concentration on the gamblers’ faces to the grimace of the screaming child, he captured a wide range of emotions. His attention to the setting is equally exacting, as evidenced by the meticulous still life on the far table. The artist’s technique here is as sophisticated as his sense of observation. To create an illusion of smoke, for instance, he applied chalk and then scraped areas away. Menzel was known for always having one of his sketchbooks on hand. Reportedly, in order to carry them more easily, he had special, large pockets added to his coats.

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