Begonnene Studie, wohl Tanzende (Initial Sketch, Probably Dancers) [p. 25] 1918 - 1919

This initial sketch, probably of dancers, was made by Max Beckmann, with a drawing tool, on a page torn from a notebook. The paper’s grid gives a structure, but the drawing only loosely adheres to it, more like it’s bouncing off it. The quick, assured marks suggest a kind of dance themselves, as if Beckmann’s hand is doing the boogie, catching the general vibe of the figures rather than trying to nail down the specifics. I love the way the forms emerge and recede, and the linear shorthand that gives just enough information to conjure bodies in motion. There’s a big, dark line cutting across the top left corner, maybe that’s a prop, maybe it’s just the edge of something. This reminds me a lot of Picasso’s sketches, where the barest of lines convey a sense of vitality and movement. It’s all about the energy, the suggestion, rather than the finished product. Like a good joke, the punchline’s in your head. This sketch says so much about art as a constant investigation, an ongoing exploration of form and space, and the sheer joy of mark-making.