The work "frederick the great on a journey", which has only survived as a fragment (national gallery, inv. No. Fv 45) and in the form of a sketch (national gallery, inv. No. A iii 767), shows the prussian king with his general lentulus inspecting a destroyed village. Before he has privy councillor von brenkenhoff show him the building plans, he receives the homage of the landowner's family (left in the picture) and the population, including a war invalid. The scaffolding on the left, with bricklayers, is the historical version of the same motif in "building site with willows" (national gallery, inv. No. Ai 900). The theme is anticipated in johann christoph frisch's painting "frederick the great inspects the colonies in the rhinluch" (around 1800, whereabouts unknown), but also in some of menzel's woodcuts for kugler's "history of frederick the great" (1840–1842). The large-format version was purchased in 1854 by the berlin iron merchant louis ravené, who opened his gallery of contemporary art on berlin's wallstrasse to the public once a week in skylight rooms designed by stüler. After severe damage in the second world war, only fragments of it have survived and are on loan from the federal republic of germany to the national gallery (inventory no. Fv 45). Object Type: painting. Date: between 1853 and 1854. Dimensions: height: 152 cm (59.8 in) ; width: 222 cm (87.4 in). Medium: oil on canvas. Collection: Alte Nationalgalerie. Adolf Friedrich Erdmann Menzel (1815-1905) - Friedrich der Große als Bauherr (auf Reisen) - 0415 - Führermuseum
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