Group of Circus Artists 1920

Max Beckmann created this drawing of a group of circus artists with graphite on paper. Look at the density of those gray lines, the artist must have been totally absorbed. Imagine him there, among the performers, quickly trying to capture their likeness. There’s something very immediate and alive in the sketchiness of the line. The artist's interest seems to be in the character of the group of performers. Their individuality! See how he captures their characters in the subtle tilt of a head, the curve of a mustache, or the set of their eyes. You sense that Beckmann is thinking about the relationship between the performers and their audience, and, as a painter, you are thinking about how he sees them, what he is observing, and how he interprets it. Beckmann, like many artists, looks to the world around him for inspiration. It is like he has seen something, and now, he wants us to see it too.