Männliche Bildnisstudie im Profil (Male Portrait Study) [p. 70] 1918 - 1919

Curator: Looking at this almost ghostly profile sketched in pencil, I feel a certain unease, but also a raw kind of strength. Editor: Well, that aligns with the turbulent era during which Max Beckmann made this, between 1918 and 1919. This work, “Male Portrait Study," feels like a fleeting observation, almost intrusive in its starkness. What do you make of the context it was made in? Curator: Right, it's Expressionist, of course. For me, it’s more about that piercing gaze. It looks like someone just caught in a really intense thought… almost like he's glaring right through me! Do you get that sense of intensity? Editor: Absolutely. Beckmann returned from World War I disillusioned, his experiences shaping his artistic vision. There’s a visible angst and tension in those lines. Consider, too, that post-war Germany faced political and economic upheaval, fueling existential anxieties reflected in art and literature. Curator: You know, it's funny. I'd love to know what kind of person he saw here. Was he someone he respected? Or perhaps someone he loathed? I mean, his choice of shading can definitely suggest things like light, shape, sure— but, at times, there's something far more emotional or visceral going on, if you ask me! Editor: Precisely, it challenges notions of traditional masculinity by presenting it as fraught, vulnerable, and introspective. We are made witnesses of Beckmann's own experiences through his engagement with art making as social commentary and critical reflection. Curator: Ultimately, I find this study profoundly human, don’t you think? Raw, maybe unresolved, but undeniably alive with feeling. Editor: Yes. It's a powerful snapshot, encapsulating a specific historical moment of trauma and its complex reverberations in identity formation.