weibliches Gesicht mit geschlossenen Augen (Woman's Face, Eyes Closed) [p. 23] 

Max Beckmann sketched this woman’s face, eyes closed, on paper sometime in his lifetime. The closed eyes evoke a sense of inner contemplation, perhaps sleep, or even death. Since antiquity, closed eyes on a human face have symbolized a transition to a different state of being. Think of countless effigies on Roman sarcophagi depicting the deceased with eyes shut, a signifier of their eternal slumber. The motif appears in other contexts, too. Consider the Christian tradition, where depictions of saints in peaceful repose often feature closed eyes, representing their spiritual communion with the divine. Over time, the symbol of closed eyes has shifted, becoming associated with introspection, withdrawal, or even a silent protest against the external world. Our collective memory associates the closed eyes with vulnerability, but also with a powerful detachment, engaging viewers on a subconscious level. The meaning of these symbols is never fixed. As we journey through history, they resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different contexts.