Zwei Männer (Two Men) [p. 50] 1927

Max Beckmann made this quick sketch of two men with pencil on paper. It is what I call a process piece, something an artist makes along the way to figuring something else out. The surface of the paper is visible beneath the marks, which gives the drawing an open, airy quality. Look at how Beckmann uses line to create the men's faces, their eyes are just little commas, and their hair looks like scribbled nests. It's like he's trying to capture their essence with as few strokes as possible. I love the way the lines overlap and intersect, creating a sense of depth and movement. Beckmann often did this type of drawing in his notebooks. Think of Cy Twombly, someone else who loved a sketchy line. It reminds us that art isn't always about perfection or precision, but about exploration and discovery.