Beckmann Sketchbook 47 c. 1934

Here we have Max Beckmann's Sketchbook 47, a portal into the artist's inner world. Beckmann, a German artist who lived through both World Wars, used art as a means to grapple with the profound anxieties and upheavals of his time. This sketchbook is more than just paper and ink; it's a repository of ideas, emotions, and observations made during an era marked by political turmoil and social change. The blank space and the marks on the cover invite us to consider what it means to be an artist in times of crisis. Beckmann himself said, "Art is creative for its own sake." What he means by that is that he created art as a means of self-expression, self-exploration, and as a means to understand himself in the world around him. These sketches offer us a raw, unfiltered glimpse into Beckmann’s artistic process. They serve as a reminder of art’s capacity to reflect, challenge, and ultimately transcend the circumstances of its creation.