Frau unter Wasser (Woman Submerged) [p. 58] 

Curator: This sketch is titled "Frau unter Wasser," or "Woman Submerged," by Max Beckmann. It's an ink and pencil drawing, an interesting diversion within his larger body of work. Editor: It’s certainly striking. The rawness of the sketch immediately grabs you. You can almost feel the weight of the water around her, though the light touch used in the drawing of the work gives the subject levity. Curator: Right, there’s this tension between the apparent weight and the airy execution. I think it reveals Beckmann’s skill at capturing emotional depth with minimal means. Consider the Expressionist context: the rapid strokes are meant to convey immediate feeling. What would compel Beckmann, known for portraying society, to place the subject of his portrait in water? Editor: For me, it's all about the medium. The visible texture of the paper, the immediacy of the pencil strokes... It reveals so much about the artist's process. Look how he builds up the form, leaving traces of earlier lines. The submerged composition reflects its material form, revealing and obscuring through its making and subjecthood. Curator: And Beckmann made this piece amongst the sociopolitical currents brewing in early 20th century Europe, after the war. Do you think this woman is drowning in social unrest or does this capture an instance of momentary peace within turmoil? Editor: Potentially neither: that the materiality of art provides some buffer from immediate sociopolitical factors. Although a figure like this appearing in that period does also remind you that women’s bodies have been the site of struggle for autonomy in the period and to the present day. Curator: The act of submergence itself could be read symbolically as a retreat from societal expectations, or perhaps an enforced silence? Regardless, Beckmann uses the interplay of medium and theme to create this really charged image. Editor: Right. It all connects—the rapid application, the choice of simple materials like pencil and ink. They are bound in the drawing's own submergence into its historical milieu. Curator: It’s these elements combined that make "Frau unter Wasser" a truly compelling, if somewhat enigmatic, work. Editor: Absolutely. It speaks volumes about the artistic process, its constraints, and surprising ability to visualize inner experiences, offering something unique to viewers still.