Landschaftsstudie (Landscape) [p. 42] 

This landscape study was drawn by Max Beckmann, part of a series of sketches capturing moments and thoughts. Notice how the vertical lines of the trees dominate the composition, imposing a silent, towering presence that is echoed in countless forests depicted throughout art history. These trees are not merely botanical features; they are symbols, deeply rooted in the collective psyche, evoking notions of nature's power and the soul's journey. Think of the tree of life, central in many cosmologies as a link between the earthly and divine. This symbol recurs across cultures, from ancient Germanic myths where the world tree Yggdrasil connects realms, to the sacred groves of classical antiquity. Here, the forest’s density suggests more than just a physical space; it speaks to our subconscious, a place of mystery, longing, and perhaps, a touch of primordial fear. This echo of nature's persistence is perpetually present, adapted yet fundamentally unchanged, in the human imagination.