Who painted A New Year's Greeting?

A New Year's Greeting was painted by Adolph Menzel in 1839.

Where can I see A New Year's Greeting?

A New Year's Greeting is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is A New Year's Greeting?

A New Year's Greeting is associated with Romanticism.

Can I buy a print of A New Year's Greeting?

Museum-quality prints of A New Year's Greeting are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

A New Year's Greeting

Adolph Menzel , 1839

A New Year's Greeting is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Adolph Menzel. It dates from 1839 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:across face of card, in black ink: Ihnen Verehrter, Ihrer Lieben / Frau und Schwiegermutter und Respetabeln / und vortrefflichem / Wünscht im Lauf der 1839 doe bestem Amüsements der Unterzeichnete; across verso: Zur Intelligenz! / Falls ein gewisses Album nicht mit nach Holland gewandelt ist, wo sich aller= / dings das in Rede stehende Objeckt nicht schlecht / conservieren würde, so bittet Unterzeichneter, / selbiges ihm auf mehrere kleine Weilchen / in Pension zu geben / verspätet zure Post gegeben; by later hand, lower right verso : AMenzel

About this work

The artist packed a lot of movement into tiny, quick lines, no colors, just black ink.

This sketch shows a crowded room with five stick-figure people. One woman holds a child, another plays a guitar, and a man in a hat stands apart. The walls are bare, and the scene feels cramped. Swirling, fancy German text wraps around the edges, like a border.

The title says it’s a New Year’s greeting from 1839. The artist packed a lot of movement into tiny, quick lines, no colors, just black ink. The people look busy but also stiff, like a snapshot of a moment frozen in time.

Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with lines.

Overview

Created in 1839, A New Year's Greeting is a pen‑and‑ink drawing by Adolph Menzel, a central figure of German Realism. Executed on paper, the work measures a modest size and captures a brief, bustling interior scene rendered entirely in monochrome line work.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts a cramped interior filled with five simplified figures: a woman cradling a child, a second woman playing a guitar, a man in a hat standing apart, and two additional stick‑like presences. A decorative border of elaborate German script encircles the image, suggesting a festive written greeting for the new year.

Technique & Style

Menzel employs rapid, gestural strokes of black ink, relying on cross‑hatching to suggest volume and shadow. The drawing’s economy of line conveys movement while maintaining a static, snapshot quality. The absence of colour focuses attention on form, gesture, and the interplay of light and dark.

History & Provenance

At the time of its creation, Menzel was already recognized for his detailed drawings and etchings, contributing to his reputation as one of Germany’s most successful artists of the nineteenth century. He later received a knighthood in 1898, becoming Adolph von Menzel. The work remains part of his early oeuvre, illustrating his skill in quick, observational drawing.