Entwurf zu "Abstürzender" (Sketch for "Falling Man") [p. 51] 1944 - 1949

This is a sketch by Max Beckmann, maybe done in pen, of a falling man, probably tumbling out of a building. Looking at those wild scribbles, I can almost feel Beckmann’s hand moving quickly across the page, trying to capture a moment of sheer panic and chaos. Imagine him, brow furrowed, cigarette dangling from his lips, as he tries to get the image in his head down on paper, immediately. The lines are raw and scratchy, like he’s wrestling with the subject matter. The blue-black ink is so intense it’s like looking into a dark abyss. You can see the influence of artists like Munch, who used expressionistic means to respond to the psychological tensions of modern life. Beckmann, like them, seemed to always be working through something, wrestling. This sketch isn't just a preparation for something else, it's a conversation with other artists, a continuation of a dialogue about what it means to be human in a world that often feels like it's falling apart.