Kircheninterieur (Church Interior) [p. 15] 

This is a sketch of a church interior by Max Beckmann, made with graphite on paper. Even in its abstracted form, the church is laden with symbolic weight. Beckmann captures the essence of spiritual space through the skeletal outlines of pews and what seem to be figures within. One cannot ignore the motif of the cross, implied within the architecture itself, a symbol deeply rooted in Christian iconography representing sacrifice and redemption. We see this motif echoed through the ages, from early Christian mosaics to Renaissance paintings, each time carrying the weight of faith and human suffering. The rapid, almost frantic lines may reflect a deeper, subconscious turmoil—a quest for meaning amidst chaos. The church, traditionally a sanctuary, is here depicted with a nervous energy, perhaps mirroring the anxieties of a world grappling with modernity. It speaks to how sacred spaces remain charged with emotional and psychological resonance.