Beckmann Sketchbook 8 1915

This is Max Beckmann’s Sketchbook 8, a small book made of paper and cloth. Looking at it, I immediately imagine Beckmann carrying it everywhere, ready to capture a passing thought or image. I bet the pages inside are filled with ideas, figures, and compositions. The cover has a tactile quality, doesn’t it? It's a warm, tan colour, kind of like aged paper. I imagine Beckmann holding it in his hands, turning it over and over. I wonder what he was thinking about as he filled its pages? I can imagine him exploring themes that would later appear in his larger paintings. Sketchbooks are like intimate conversations, a space where artists can be free to experiment and make mistakes. It’s like an open invitation to see the world through his eyes.