Akrobat in der Brücke (Backbend) [p. 13] 

This drawing on paper of an acrobat was made by Max Beckmann. The pencil marks are light, giving the figure a sense of weightlessness, a body in motion. Beckmann seems to have used a basic graphite pencil, a humble instrument that’s nonetheless capable of capturing complex forms. It’s a direct, immediate medium. You can imagine Beckmann quickly sketching this figure, perhaps in a moment of observation at a circus or cabaret. The paper itself is also significant. It’s a simple, unadorned surface, likely from a sketchbook. The choice of such accessible materials suggests that this drawing was meant to be a preliminary study, a quick impression rather than a finished work. The beauty of this piece lies not only in the artist's skill but also in the immediacy and intimacy afforded by these commonplace materials. It reminds us that art doesn’t always require elaborate tools, and that the simplest of means can be used to capture both form and movement.