Skizze mit Bezeichnung (Sketch with Inscription) [p. 16] 1918 - 1919

This is a page from a sketchbook by Max Beckmann, made with graphite on paper. You know, sometimes the most casual sketches can reveal the most about an artist's process. Look at the frantic energy of these lines, it's like he's wrestling with an idea, trying to pin it down. The paper is lightly gridded, a subtle structure beneath the chaos. The graphite is dry, almost scratchy, leaving a trail of grey marks. It feels immediate, unfiltered. See how the lines build up in certain areas, creating darker, denser patches? It reminds me of a kind of visual thinking, where the act of drawing is a way of figuring things out. It makes me think of other artists who used drawing as a primary tool for exploration, like Cy Twombly, whose scribbles and scrawls feel like a direct connection to the artist's thoughts. Ultimately, this sketch invites us to embrace the messy, uncertain nature of creativity.