Männliche Bildnisskizze (Male Portrait Sketch) [p. 45] 

Max Beckmann created this male portrait sketch with pencil on paper. The figure is reduced to a few lines that are immediately evocative, it is in his expression that we find a symbol of our own humanity. Consider the tradition of portraiture from antiquity to the Renaissance, the figure looking out at the viewer and engaging them on a conscious and unconscious level. The way the head is turned could be seen in ancient Roman portrait busts, but the raw, unfinished quality connects it to more modern expressions, the man on the street. Here, the man is stripped of his status and rendered as a universal type. Beckmann uses the language of expressionism to explore the depths of human psychology and emotion. This portrait is not just a record of a person, but a mirror reflecting the viewer's own emotional states and inner thoughts. It reminds us that portraiture, across time, serves not only to depict but to engage with the viewer, creating an immediate emotional impact.