begonnene Skizze eines Gesichts (Initial Sketch of Profile) [p. 45] 

Max Beckmann made this initial sketch of a profile, on paper of 19 by 12.5 centimeters. The profile, a stark motif, echoes across millennia—from ancient coins to Renaissance portraiture. Consider the Roman emperors, their profiles stamped onto currency, symbols of power and authority, and a sign of the times that was seen and held by many. Beckmann's sketch, though, is raw, unfinished. Unlike those idealized depictions, it reveals the vulnerable, human aspect of representation. It hints at a departure from grand symbolism, towards a more personal, psychological exploration. Perhaps Beckmann seeks to peel back the layers of cultural memory, probing at something more immediate and unfiltered. The profile here is no longer about power but about presence, about the fleeting moment of observation.