Blick aus dem Fenster, Notizen (View from a Window with Notations [p. 112] 

Editor: Here we have "View from a Window with Notations," a pencil drawing by Max Beckmann. It's fascinating to see what appears to be a landscape rendered so hastily, yet capturing such depth. What do you see in this piece from a formal perspective? Curator: From a formalist perspective, this work exemplifies the power of line and composition. Notice how Beckmann uses stark, almost crude lines to delineate the landscape outside the window. The composition is fractured, divided by the window frame itself. What strikes you about the use of the empty space on the left page? Editor: It's so sparse in contrast to the busyness on the right, with the window. It almost feels like two separate drawings, but still connected. Curator: Precisely. The visual tension between the emptiness and the density on the right draws the viewer’s eye repeatedly across the page. This tension is reinforced by the contrasting styles of line work. What do you notice about the texture achieved through these lines? Editor: The different directions create planes within the view...some parts almost dissolve, while others are more firmly defined. Curator: Yes, Beckmann seems less interested in directly representing what he sees and more focused on the abstract structure. Observe the window itself acts as a frame within a frame, compartmentalizing the composition. Notice how Beckmann fragments reality, inviting the viewer to piece it together, thereby activating us as viewers in this process of understanding. Editor: This makes me appreciate how the incompleteness is part of the point; it's not just a sketch but an exploration of form itself. I initially thought the sketch was more impressionistic but its more deliberate than it looks. Curator: Indeed, the structural integrity beneath its seeming casualness speaks to Beckmann’s formal mastery, challenging traditional representational conventions, even in this seemingly casual sketchbook format.