Serpent's head c. 1919

Max Beckmann sketched "Serpent's Head" using graphite on paper, creating a study in form and potential menace. The composition centres on the serpent's head, its form rendered with dense, directional strokes that suggest volume and texture. Note how the diagonal orientation immediately destabilizes the image, giving it a dynamic, unsettling quality. Beckmann uses line to define the snake's features, yet these lines are not definitive; they imply rather than confirm, leaving the image open to interpretation. The angular shapes surrounding the head create a backdrop that feels both abstract and threatening. Beckmann's choice of graphite emphasizes tonal variations, enhancing the sense of depth. The drawing functions as a semiotic exercise, where the serpent, an archetypal symbol, is rendered through a modernist lens. This interplay between representation and abstraction suggests a deeper exploration of primal fears and the instability of meaning itself.