zwei Figuren (Two Figures) [p. 50] 

Curator: Welcome. Here we see “zwei Figuren,” or “Two Figures,” a pencil drawing by Max Beckmann. Editor: My first impression is of stark vulnerability. It looks like something scribbled quickly in a moment of intense emotion. The linework is so raw, so unpolished. What’s happening materially here, just bare pencil on what seems to be ordinary sketchbook paper, adds to that sense of immediacy. Curator: Indeed. Beckmann often used sketches like this to explore complex psychological states. The figures, though abstract, evoke a sense of tension or perhaps confrontation. Expressionism seeks to externalize those inner experiences. Notice how the slanting strokes seem to cage or constrict the figures, suggesting psychological unrest. Editor: I'm particularly interested in how Beckmann chose to use the most basic of materials, and chose to not further refine the image beyond these initial marks on the page. This approach really democratizes the artmaking process; anyone with a pencil and paper could theoretically achieve a similar effect, underscoring the raw emotion over technical skill. I wonder what sketchbook this was found in? Was it simply lying around the studio? What brand was this pencil? All of these material conditions affected the look we now see today! Curator: Precisely! These sketches often served as precursors to larger, more polished works, which were themselves laden with archetypal symbolism drawn from history and mythology. Even here, in its stripped-down state, we see that expressionistic drive toward emotive force and depth. Editor: I wonder, too, how much the paper texture impacted his final expression of line. A smoother paper would’ve likely created more accurate lines that we would’ve perceived to be controlled—whereas the current final work highlights roughness, the raw materials influencing meaning in unexpected ways. Curator: That is an important consideration. When viewed with this lens, even this simple sketch suggests powerful things about Beckmann’s anxieties and artistic processes during this time. Editor: A stark, simple image to make a complicated artist somehow feel accessible!