Zwei Skizzen, Bezeichnungen (Two Sketches with Inscriptions) [p. 43] 

Max Beckmann created this page of sketches with inscriptions in ink, probably around 1912, judging from the dates he noted. Beckmann was part of the artistic milieu in Germany that struggled to reconcile traditional artistic values with the emergence of modernism and the growing social unrest. The top sketch, labeled "Leipzig," depicts a crowd, perhaps at a market or gathering. The figures are roughly drawn, conveying a sense of movement and the energy of urban life. The lower sketch appears to show the entrance to a building in "Dalsandgang," possibly a train station. This could show the artist at arrival or departure. Beckmann's sketches capture a sense of place and the daily lives of ordinary people. We might consider the role of the artist as observer and recorder of social life. Scholars of Beckmann and his era delve into personal letters, diaries, newspapers, and other records to create a more complete picture. This kind of research reminds us that art is always made within a specific cultural, social, and institutional context.