Portrait Study (Flüchtige Bildnisstudie) [p. 16] 

Max Beckmann sketched this "Portrait Study" with pencil, capturing a fleeting moment. The subject gazes upward, an attitude seen in countless depictions of saints and Madonnas, evoking a sense of longing or spiritual contemplation. This upward gaze—the "Augenblick" of transcendental yearning—reappears across epochs. Consider its echo in the eyes of Byzantine mosaics, or even in the upturned faces of Renaissance angels. What is it about this gesture that transcends mere anatomy, that tugs at our collective unconscious? Perhaps it is the primal human desire for connection, for something beyond the mundane. The slight twist of the head introduces an element of dynamism, hinting at a story unfolding beyond the frame. It is not static devotion, but active seeking. This simple sketch is an archetype, a "pathos formula" that resonates across time, a testament to the enduring power of human emotion.