Drie gezichten in schaduw 1916 - 1919

Max Beckmann made this etching, Drie gezichten in schaduw, which translates to 'three faces in shadow', with ink on paper. The way he’s worked the ink, it’s not just about describing faces, but about building a whole mood. Look how he’s scratched and cross-hatched the lines, making the faces emerge from a kind of shadowy chaos. There’s something raw about it, like he’s wrestling with the image. You can almost feel the pressure of the tool on the plate, the way the lines dig in and create these dark, intense shadows. The face on the right, with its mouth open in a scream, is especially compelling. The lines are so frantic and tight, you can almost hear the scream echoing in the room. Beckmann reminds me of Otto Dix, both diving into the bleaker sides of life with this kind of brutal honesty. It’s not pretty, but it’s definitely powerful.