Ballspielende Männer am Strand (A Ballgame at the Beach) [p. 3] 

Max Beckmann made this sketch of men playing ball at the beach with graphite on paper. It likely dates to the 1930s, a time of great political and social upheaval in Germany. Beckmann's figures appear alienated from one another, their movements stiff and awkward. The beach, typically a site of leisure and relaxation, is transformed into a space of tension. We can read into the image the oppressive atmosphere of the time, the looming threat of war, and the artist's own sense of unease. His Expressionist style is evident in the bold lines, distorted forms, and flattened space, features that contribute to the overall sense of disquiet. To better understand the sketch, we might consult Beckmann's diaries and letters, as well as studies of the cultural history of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazism. Art, after all, never exists in a vacuum.