King and Demagogue (Original Title)Blatt 8 aus der Mappe „Day and Dream“ 1946

Max Beckmann made this print called 'King and Demagogue' using drypoint, that's a kind of printmaking where you scratch directly into a plate. The hatching is everywhere, creating areas of dark and light, giving form to the figures. See how the lines are rough and urgent. He's not trying to hide the process. It's all about the scratching. The king on the right, looks melancholic, lost in thought, while the other figure with a newspaper points outwards. It's like they're stuck in their own worlds, even though they're right next to each other. I love how Beckmann doesn't give us easy answers. You can see echoes of artists like Picasso in his work but Beckmann is definitely his own person, wrestling with the world through his art. It’s about not settling for one way of seeing.