Skizze mit vier Figuren (Titled Sketch with Four Figures) [p. 71] 1914 - 1915

Max Beckmann made this titled sketch with four figures with ink on paper. It's like a quick thought jotted down, a moment caught in a web of lines. Look at how he uses these short, urgent marks, they don't just describe figures; they create a sense of restless energy, it feels like process is visible here. There's something vulnerable and immediate about the sketch, as if we're seeing the artist's mind at work. I love how the bodies overlap, creating a kind of spatial puzzle. The scratchy ink makes me think of a slightly demented Picasso. Beckmann's sketch reminds me that art isn't about answers, but about embracing the messy, uncertain process of seeing and feeling.