Chodowiecki on the Jannowitz Bridge

Painted in 1859 and held in the Museum Georg Schäfer, 'Chodowiecki on the Jannowitz Bridge' depicts Daniel Chodowiecki (1726–1801), the Berlin-born engraver and painter of Polish origin who was among the most important German graphic artists of the eighteenth century and served as director of the Berlin Academy. Menzel's interest in Chodowiecki reflects his broader engagement with Berlin's artistic and cultural history; painting a historical Berliner on a Berlin bridge allowed him to combine his historical reconstruction interests with his deep knowledge of the city's topography. The Jannowitz Bridge over the Spree was a significant Berlin crossing, and placing Chodowiecki there connects the historical figure to a specific urban location. Menzel's interest in Chodowiecki reflected a broader engagement with Berlin's artistic past that was characteristic of the cultural nationalism of mid-century Germany — celebrating the city's own contribution to European art history.

Menzel renders the historical figure of Chodowiecki in eighteenth-century costume against the background of the Jannowitz Bridge and the Berlin Spree, creating a historical genre scene that combines his mastery of period costume with his intimate knowledge of Berlin's urban landscape.