Groep met daarachter drie muzikanten met strijkinstrumenten 1918 - 1919

Max Beckmann made this etching, ‘Group with three musicians with string instruments behind’, by incising lines into a metal plate, and then using ink to make multiple copies. Looking at it, I can see how the figures are compressed, almost fighting for space. I imagine Beckmann, in his studio, trying to wrangle all these different feelings of the world into one image. There's a kind of frenzy here that reminds me how an artist can try to capture a feeling, an attitude, or maybe an atmosphere more than a literal depiction of a group. The lines feel raw, like he’s scratching at the surface, trying to get something out. It makes me wonder about the relationship between music and art. Maybe Beckmann felt like he was trying to capture the energy of a performance, the chaos and emotion of a live band in full swing. It’s all about mark-making, like a form of notation, but for feelings rather than sounds. And that’s something all artists, including musicians, share and build on, creating a unique visual language together.