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Adolph Menzel, 'Blind Man's Buff', 1867

Key facts
Full title Blind Man's Buff
Artist Adolph Menzel
Artist dates 1815 - 1905
Date made 1867
Dimensions 29.4 × 22.7 cm
Inscription summary Signed; Dated
Acquisition credit On loan from a private collection
Inventory number L1218
Location Room 45
Image copyright On loan from a private collection, © Private collection, London
Collection Main Collection
Blind Man's Buff
Adolph Menzel

A young girl announces her presence to the man in armour by thrusting flowers at him. We see only his merry eyes. Yet this frivolous game is overshadowed by a glowering figure behind. Menzel is a master at depicting surfaces, hard and soft, and at suggesting enigmatic psychological states.

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More paintings by Adolph Menzel

Afternoon in the Tuileries Gardens
Afternoon in the Tuileries Gardens
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In the summer of 1867, the German artist Adolph Menzel visited Paris for nine weeks. While there, he almost certainly went to Manet’s temporary pavilion, which for a few days was situated near the Universal Exhibition. The pavilion displayed around 50 of Manet’s paintings, including Music in the...
Room 45