Artwork
Menzel, Donatus Gottlieb
Menzel, Donatus Gottlieb is an unspecified painting by Rudolf (czynny we Wrocławiu 1933-1947), fot. Jagusch. It dates from 1945 and is held in the collection of the Library of the Wroclaw University.
About this work
To learn more about the photographer who reproduced this image, look up the artist: Jagusch, Rudolf (czynny we Wrocławiu 1933-1947), fot.
This painting shows a man with a chain of office around his neck.
He's dressed formally and looks serious.
The man is Donatus Gottlieb Menzel, a lawyer and mayor of Wrocław.
This portrait is based on an earlier oil painting by August Thilo.
The subject's formal attire and the chain of office suggest his importance.
To learn more about the photographer who reproduced this image, look up the artist: Jagusch, Rudolf (czynny we Wrocławiu 1933-1947), fot.
Overview
The image is a photographic reproduction of a 19th‑century oil portrait of Donatus Gottlieb Menzel, a lawyer who served as mayor of Wrocław from 1833 until his death in 1838. The print measures 19.8 by 15.7 cm and is mounted in a simple straight frame, preserving the original composition of the painted source.
Subject & Meaning
Menzel is depicted in formal attire, wearing the ceremonial chain of office that identifies him as the city’s Oberbürgermeister. The sober expression and dignified pose convey the civic authority and respect accorded to a municipal leader in the early‑modern period.
Technique & Style
The photograph reproduces August Thilo’s oil painting, capturing the tonal range and detail of the original brushwork. Inscribed lettering appears in the corners and along the top edge, noting Menzel’s title, term of office, and dates of birth and death, while the reverse bears a photographer’s seal.
History & Provenance
The negative used for this print is catalogued as inventory photo 7330 in the National Museum in Wrocław’s Department of Documents. The image bears the seal of Rudolf Jagusch, a Breslau‑based photographer active between 1933 and 1947, indicating the print was produced from the original negative during that period.
Context
Mayoral portraits such as this were common in Central European cities, serving both as official records and public displays of municipal governance. The inclusion of the mayoral chain reflects the ceremonial regalia associated with urban administration in the Kingdom of Prussia, of which Wrocław (then Breslau) was a part.
Artist & collection
Artist
Rudolf (czynny we Wrocławiu 1933-1947), fot. Jagusch
Rudolf Jagusch worked in Wrocław between 1933 and 1947. He made photographs of city scenes and portraits during those years. His surviving prints show shopfronts, street corners, and local figures in black-and-white.…
