Zirkusartist im Kostüm (Circus Performer in Costume) [?] [p. 29] 

Max Beckmann created this pencil sketch, "Circus Performer in Costume," on paper during a period of significant social and political upheaval in Germany. The sketch is a rapid study of a figure, presumably a circus performer, clad in an elaborate costume. The loose lines and unfinished quality suggest a sense of spontaneity and immediacy, which contrasts with the formality often associated with portraiture. Beckmann's focus on a circus performer invites us to consider the role of entertainment and spectacle in a society grappling with the aftermath of World War I and the rise of extremist ideologies. The circus, as a site of both fantasy and exploitation, becomes a metaphor for the larger social and political landscape of Weimar Germany. Historical research can shed light on the cultural significance of the circus during this period, revealing its complex relationship to questions of class, identity, and social mobility.