Meereslandschaft, Farbangaben (Seascape with Notations) [p. 108] 

Curator: Welcome. Let's delve into this evocative drawing by Max Beckmann, titled "Meereslandschaft, Farbangaben (Seascape with Notations) [p. 108]". Editor: My immediate impression is of restless energy. The composition feels transient, like a fleeting memory of the sea, captured with nervous, almost frantic lines. Curator: Indeed. It’s revealing as a page torn from what appears to be his personal sketchbook, offering an unvarnished glimpse into Beckmann’s process. You can see the notations, perhaps colour notes, interwoven with the sketched forms. Editor: The use of pencil and what seems to be pen work definitely hints at a direct, unmediated experience. The sea has always been imbued with a certain primal power in visual culture, often used to symbolize the subconscious or even chaos, and I see that echoed in the gestural style here. Curator: Absolutely. Consider how the abstraction both reveals and conceals. The drawing exists as a functional artifact for the artist—it’s where ideas are tested and refined, but still carries his unmistakable expressionistic bent, doesn't it? It challenges the conventional definition of 'finished' art. It really gives insight into the labor involved. Editor: You're right. Even those abstract shapes could be read as sea monsters or primordial creatures lurking beneath the surface, a recurring symbol for artists facing inner turmoil. And his Expressionist handling underscores an artist grappling with modern life's discontents. Curator: I'm struck by how he integrates those material annotations, those reminders to himself about hue and value. It disrupts a singular reading of the seascape. It acknowledges artmaking as a multi-faceted act. Editor: It's true. In his sea, the symbolic blends with the practical in the same breath, maybe gesturing to a unity of lived experience, in mind as much as labor? The symbols aren’t pristine, rather lived in and touched. Curator: Looking at Beckmann’s "Seascape", it's been insightful to see how materials and labour unite with psychological landscapes. Editor: Yes, definitely. And through this intimate sketch, we've touched on the many layers of symbolism embedded within such seemingly simple works.