Neujahrskarte für den Maler Ugi Battenberg 1902

This New Year's card for the painter Ugi Battenberg, was made by Max Beckmann with pen and ink. You can almost see the hand that made this! It has the character of a sketch, or a cartoon, and the kind of image that happens in a single take. I sympathize with Beckmann, here. I can imagine him thinking about his fellow painter, his friend, Battenberg, and wanting to send him something personal, not just any old card. And instead of buying one, deciding to make one. I also like that it shows the artist, with his palette, in the studio. There is also a figure that is a bit weird and ethereal; maybe it’s an angel, a kind of a muse. And a table with bottles on it. It's so interesting when artists make things about each other. And they are always in conversation, across time, inspiring each other’s creativity.