Paar und große Figur (Couple and Large Figure) [p. 21] 

Curator: Before us we have Max Beckmann’s pencil drawing "Couple and Large Figure.” The date is unknown, but what’s immediately clear is its expressionistic roots. Editor: A chaotic sketch! But not without its allure. There's a pent-up tension visible in every scratch and line. The stark contrasts add to this frenetic feel. What's your read? Curator: Indeed. Expressionism, as we see it in Beckmann's era, conveys intense subjective emotion through radical distortion. I think, here, the couple could be archetypes, symbols for the fragility of relationships threatened by an overbearing force – that "Large Figure," if you will. A potent symbol of societal pressure, perhaps? Editor: It could very well be! The couple huddle as a unit, clearly. The contrast in shading certainly emphasizes the form, though it's less pronounced compared to the lines carving out the figure looming behind them. Could it simply point to the spatial tension, the "Large Figure" encroaching? Curator: It could point to this. Yet, remember Beckmann's deep engagement with theatre and mythology. That "Large Figure" is a visual reminder of power and how social power looms large and can destroy any union of two people who simply wish to be happy, as it echoes themes found in classical tragedies, perhaps representing fate or an inescapable doom? Editor: A valid reading, that's for sure! The composition certainly pushes our eyes around; however, for all the tension and anxiety, a strange sense of harmony remains. Beckmann’s use of stark shading generates some form out of the abstraction. The figures find their space and separation. Curator: Exactly, expressionism is not without form. And with all these scribbles and distortions, "Couple and Large Figure" creates an emotional landscape using the simplest materials, and that feels powerful and immediate to me. Editor: It leaves an imprint, it does! Curator: Indeed, the layered symbolism resonates far beyond a casual observation of shapes and strokes. Editor: A haunting composition that gets under your skin; the technique may be rough, but it has an arresting directness.