drei zu Tisch sitzende Frauen (Three at a Table) [p. 45] 1927

Max Beckmann made this pencil sketch, "Three at a Table," in a notebook, sometime in his life, we don't know exactly when. Look at the light touch of the pencil, how he builds up the figures with such simple lines. It's like he's thinking through the drawing, letting the forms emerge bit by bit. The material quality of the work is all about this delicate balance. The paper is off-white, almost fragile. You can see the grain. The pencil marks vary in darkness, some lines barely there, others more assertive. Notice the face of the woman in the center, those dark strokes for the eyes and eyebrows giving her a real presence. Then look at the figure on the left, much more lightly sketched, almost fading into the background. That contrast is everything, you know? It reminds me a bit of some of Picasso’s sketches, that same sense of capturing a fleeting moment with minimal means. Art is a conversation, right? And Beckmann's definitely in the mix, exploring the human figure with his own distinctive voice.