drei Studienköpfe (Three Heads) [p. 19] 1944 - 1949

Max Beckmann made this drawing, "drei Studienköpfe (Three Heads)", with graphite, and who knows what kind of paper. I love how Beckmann’s lines are so unsure. Each mark feels like a question. He’s not laying down the law; he’s feeling around in the dark. There's an ongoing process of building and erasing that feels a lot like how we form thoughts and half-thoughts. Look at the way the graphite bunches up around the face in the lower part of the image. There’s an intensity to this concentration of mark making that captures an emotional weight. You get the feeling he was working something out on the page. Beckmann makes me think of Picasso, another restless spirit forever searching for new ways to represent the world. Art isn’t about answers; it's about keeping the conversation going.