Bahnhofs Halle (Railway Station) [p. 15] 

Max Beckmann sketched this railway station, using graphite on paper. The composition immediately presents a perspectival distortion, typical of Beckmann's work, where lines converge in a manner that feels both realistic and unsettling. The space is defined by the strong diagonal lines of the roof and the rigid geometry of the windows, with a gridded pattern. This creates a sense of depth and enclosure, typical of Beckmann, simultaneously suggesting movement and confinement. The quick, somewhat frantic lines add to the atmosphere of transient instability, akin to the experience of being in a railway station. Beckmann uses line not just to depict but to evoke, in his hands the station becomes not merely a place of transit, but a symbol of modern alienation and existential searching. Notice how the lack of human figures amplifies the sense of emptiness. This formal choice underscores a larger theme of isolation. The sketch resonates with broader modernist concerns about the individual's place in an increasingly industrialized world. It asks us to consider how space and form can communicate complex emotional and philosophical ideas.