Active in Berlin and in their hometown, Breslau (Wrocław), the brothers were known for drawings, pastels, engravings, miniature paintings, and lithographs.
[1] The Henschel brothers' oeuvre focused on portraits (including memorial portraiture), theater and ballet performances, and cityscapes.
In an age in which the theater held a central place in German culture, the Henschel brothers conceived of these works as an aid to actors, artists, and the educated public for grasping the art of expression; and believed that the best means of engaging the intellect was through a combination of text and image.
[1] In 1819, in honor of Goethe's 70th birthday, the Henschel brothers began work on a series of pictures depicting scenes from the poet's life, based on episodes he recounts in the first volume of his autobiography (Aus meinem Leben: Dichtung und Wahrheit).
[3]: 65 When August Henschel died in 1828, Wilhelm returned to his home city of Breslau; his two other brothers, Friedrich and Moritz, had already done so at an earlier point, even as they had all continued to work as an artistic team.