Drei stehende Frauenakte und Notizen (Three Standing Women and Documentation) [p. 33] 

This is a drawing by Max Beckmann, rendered in charcoal on paper. Here, Beckmann engaged a traditional drawing material to depict the human form. Charcoal, made from charred wood, is valued for its deep blacks and ability to create both sharp lines and soft, diffused shading. The inherent qualities of charcoal—its relative fragility and the ease with which it can be smudged or erased—lend this study a sense of spontaneity. You can imagine Beckmann rapidly capturing the essence of the figures, his hand moving quickly across the page. The texture of the paper also plays a role, catching the charcoal particles and adding depth to the drawing. Yet, despite the seeming immediacy of the medium, the rough, unfinished quality of the drawing prompts questions about the amount of labour involved in the production process. The drawing is likely to be one in a series of studies, experiments, and documentation. This serves to highlight that the apparent ease of the medium belies the amount of hard work and intellectual labour required to produce such a study. By understanding its materials and making process, we can appreciate the amount of skill involved.