Weibliches Gesicht im Profil (Profile of a Woman) [p. 1] 

Max Beckmann made this sketch of a woman’s profile in pencil, at an unknown date. The simplicity of the lines speaks to the artist’s broader vision of the human condition. Beckmann came of age in Imperial Germany. His work often evokes the political turmoil of the Weimar Republic. He was later ostracized by the Nazi regime. The social and political instability of the time is visible in his many paintings and prints. These often depict a world in crisis, but he also returned to the motif of the portrait throughout his life. Beckmann was deeply influenced by his cultural context, as well as his experience of living through war. Art historians can shed light on this background by consulting archives, letters, and other historical documents. The meaning of art is always shaped by the society in which it is made.