Paar (Couple) [p. 32] 1944 - 1949

Max Beckmann made this pen and ink drawing called "Couple" and you can see it’s all about the scratchy, searching line. I imagine Beckmann working quickly, trying to get the essence of this couple down on paper, line a bit nervous, unsure... you know how it is when you are trying to grasp something elusive. The heads, drawn in profile and full-face, tilt into one another as if in conversation, but they also seem to be separate entities, each with its own distinct character. Are they snarling, in love, tired, or all of the above? Beckmann was always trying to capture the complexities of human existence, the push and pull of relationships. His figures often seem trapped in a world of their own making. It reminds me a little of Picasso, or maybe even some of those angst-ridden German Expressionists. Ultimately, this little drawing is like a fleeting thought, a quick sketch of an idea. It’s a reminder that art is a conversation, a way of thinking through the world, one line at a time.