Begonnene Figurenskizze (Figural Sketch) [p. 14] 

Max Beckmann created this figural sketch, with a page size of 20.5 x 16.3 cm, using spare lines. The reclining pose of the figure, though fragmented, echoes the classical motif of the Venus Pudica—a symbol of modesty and feminine beauty since ancient Greece. Yet, Beckmann's sketch distorts and abstracts this iconic pose. The lines are restless, suggesting a sense of unease or introspection far removed from the serene beauty of classical nudes. We see here the Venus figure stripped of her divine status, reimagined as a modern human, burdened by existential angst. Consider Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus,' where the goddess emerges confidently from her shell, radiating divine grace. By contrast, Beckmann’s figure is rendered with a sense of incompleteness, reflecting a fractured, modern psyche. This is not a linear progression but a cyclical return to the raw, emotional core of human existence.