From 1875 until 1883, Max Klinger lived in Berlin, where he also was unable to resist the omnipresent influence of Adolph Menzel. In particular, the technical brilliance and imagination of the latter’s graphic work made a major impression on Klinger. He therefore must have been honoured by the commission from the Berlin Artists’ Union for this celebratory sheet for Menzel’s jubilee, a project he finished before his departure for Italy in 1883 (Fig. 1). In any case, the ceremonial presentation did not take place until April 5, 1884, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Adolph Menzel’s entry into the “Union of Young Berlin Artists” at the age of 19 on February 2, 1834.
Klinger used these two studies of a female nude for two naiads in the foreground of his print. From the study of the back, he made use only of the head and shoulders, while the profile view appears between the waves relatively unchanged.