Laterne vor Häuserfassade (Lamppost in Front of Facade) [p. 35] 

Max Beckmann made this sketch of a lamppost in front of a building facade sometime during his life, using graphite on paper. The drawing presents a study in urban architecture, but also in the way civic infrastructure shapes public life. Made in Germany, likely between the two World Wars, this sketch could represent a critique of the social structures of its time. Beckmann's focus on the mundane lamppost suggests an interest in everyday life and the subtle ways in which power operates through urban planning. The sketch is not explicitly political, but it does invite us to consider the role of public spaces and amenities in shaping social interactions. Was Beckmann trying to challenge the institutions of art? To understand this work better, we might consider the social and political history of German urban planning in the early 20th century. Art is contingent on its social and institutional context.