Die Augenstation (Original Title) 1915

Here is a graphite drawing by Max Beckmann, called Die Augenstation. It’s hard to say exactly when it was made because there's no date, but looking at it, I imagine Beckmann was working quickly, almost frantically. I imagine what it might have been like for him, maybe in a hospital, observing a scene of medical intervention, sketching with urgency. The lines feel raw, capturing a moment of intense human experience. Notice the faces of the figures, their expressions, etched with concern and curiosity. Beckmann has used a flurry of lines to suggest hair, clothing, the clinical setting, and also the physical act of cutting or stitching. The lines are suggestive, creating a sense of immediacy and tension. Beckmann’s work, in general, probes into the human condition, and the complex relationship between what’s visible and what's hidden. He’s in conversation with artists like Kathe Kollwitz, Otto Dix, and others who were wrestling with the trauma and aftermath of war in their art. Ultimately, it’s up to us to see what we will in this evocative work.