Weibliche Bildnisstudie im Profil (Female Portrait Study, Profile) [p. 33] 1918 - 1919

Editor: This is Max Beckmann's "Weibliche Bildnisstudie im Profil," or "Female Portrait Study, Profile," created between 1918 and 1919 using pencil on paper. It has an unfinished, almost skeletal quality, due to its minimalist form and lack of shading. How do you approach an artwork like this? What elements stand out to you? Curator: Initially, it's critical to acknowledge the constraints. The artist employs only line to generate form, resulting in emphasis of direction and angle, and therefore creating shapes within the shape of a face. The planes described appear rather architectural and cubist, so, even though this is Expressionism, elements of Modernism appear dominant here. Note the tension created in the relationship between contour and content. What impact do you think the linear qualities have on our perception? Editor: I think it contributes to the drawing's sense of incompleteness and the feeling that it’s a work in progress. The angular lines are stark, giving it that skeletal feel, as the form and shapes lack traditional definition. But beyond the angularity, does the choice of perspective also enhance the expressive nature of this piece? Curator: It appears to flatten the picture plane, collapsing three-dimensional space into a surface of related linear units. The artist appears to be investigating the very structures of portraiture, peeling it back, one might say, and showing us its foundations. Consider the visual weight. What sections command the most attention and how? Editor: The face obviously grabs most of the focus, though the cap shape definitely catches my eye. With very little hatching, the linear network making up the image’s volumes is remarkably even in its distribution. It keeps drawing the eye over all portions of the work, rather than creating a traditional focal point. I am struck how this technique results in visual harmony out of this very reduced and fragmented study. Curator: Indeed. Focusing on this artwork, particularly on Beckmann's formal techniques, allows one to fully appreciate how the artist utilizes those qualities in the service of larger expressionistic tendencies. Editor: It's been enlightening to look at Beckmann's formal decisions and understand how they contribute to the emotional and expressive impact of this drawing. Thank you.