Frau mit Champagnerglas (Woman with a Glass of Champagne) [p. 96] 1927

This is a pencil drawing, "Frau mit Champagnerglas," or "Woman with a Glass of Champagne," by Max Beckmann. It's all about mark-making and the energy of the line; the whole thing feels like a burst of insight, captured quickly. The texture is raw, immediate. The lines are searching, and sometimes they double back, creating depth and shadow with just a few strokes. I love how the hair is just a scribble of graphite, yet it conveys so much about the woman’s mood, her kind of, loose elegance. The way Beckmann handles the glass is interesting too: it’s barely there, more of an idea than a solid object. You see this kind of immediacy in the work of Picasso, that feeling of a line being pulled directly from the subconscious. Both artists remind us that art isn't about perfect representation, but about capturing a feeling, a moment. It's an ongoing conversation.