1834
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Künstlers Erdenwallen (The Artist’s Earthly Pilgrimage) is a 1834 ink by Adolph von Menzel, a Romanticism work, depicting Sheet Music, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image is a decorative wrapper for sheet music. It’s packed with black ink drawings on a light blue background, showing musical instruments, birds, and swirling vines. A rabbit peeks out from the top, and a bird holds a scroll in its beak. The text in the middle reads *"Künstlers Erdenwallen"* and credits an artist named Menzel. The wrapper was made in 1834, likely as part of a set of six prints. The intricate designs mix nature and music, which was common in Romantic-era art. The technique used here—lithography—lets artists draw directly onto stone for prints. Next, look up lithography to see how this process works.
Adolph Friedrich Erdmann von Menzel was a German Realist artist noted for drawings, etchings, and paintings.
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