Beckmann Sketchbook 17 1916 - 1936

This is “Beckmann Sketchbook 17” by Max Beckmann, an intimate object measuring about 7 1/2 by 5 inches. Beckmann, a German artist who lived through both World Wars, used sketchbooks like this one as a personal space to confront the turmoil of his times. Consider the weight of this small book—both literal and metaphorical. Beckmann lived in a world rocked by political upheaval and personal tragedy. As a veteran of World War I, he was intimately acquainted with the atrocities of war. The rise of Nazism in Germany further complicated his life, leading to his eventual exile. Within the pages of this book, Beckmann found a sanctuary to record his observations, fears, and hopes. His sketches are not mere representations of reality, but reflections on identity and existence in a fractured world. As Beckmann once said, "I am searching for the self and God, in my own life, which is identical to that of all." This sketchbook allows us to touch the artist's inner life, as he grapples with the universal questions of what it means to be human.