Zwei Frauen (Two Women) [p. 31] 

This is a pencil sketch by Max Beckmann, titled "Two Women," rendered on paper, and it captures a study of the female form. Observe the upper figure’s face, the gaze directed upward, reminiscent of depictions of ecstasy or revelation found in religious art across centuries. Consider Bernini’s "Ecstasy of Saint Teresa," where a similar upward glance conveys intense spiritual experience. In contrast, the lower figure appears almost in repose, perhaps indicative of grief or introspection, motifs common in funerary art since antiquity. This contrast evokes an emotional dichotomy, a tension between the active and the passive. These depictions invite speculation about the inner lives of these figures. The human face, after all, serves as a potent symbol, revealing layers of emotion. These archetypes, deeply embedded in our collective memory, have been continuously reinterpreted and reimagined by artists. They engage us on a profound, subconscious level. As such, they transcend Beckmann’s time, echoing through the ages.