Tanzende Figur (Dancing Figure) [p. 11] 

Max Beckmann’s sketch, Dancing Figure, presents a simplified form caught in a moment of energetic extension. The dancer's gesture, though minimal, evokes a sense of movement that echoes through centuries of artistic expression. The image of a figure in mid-motion carries echoes of ancient Greek vase paintings, where dancers and athletes were immortalized in stylized poses. Consider the ecstatic Bacchantes, their limbs flailing in divine frenzy. This archetype resurfaces in Renaissance depictions of frolicking nymphs and, later, in the avant-garde explorations of artists like Matisse, whose dancers exude pure, unbridled joy. Here, the emotional power lies not just in the dance itself, but in what it represents: freedom, release, a momentary escape from the constraints of earthly existence. Like a recurring dream, this motif taps into our collective memory, resonating with a primordial desire for liberation. The dancing figure, then, becomes a timeless symbol of human vitality, forever caught in a cyclical dance through art history.