Wrestlers, from the portfolio "New European Graphics, Portfolio V: German Artists" 1921

Editor: This is Max Beckmann's "Wrestlers," an etching from the "New European Graphics" portfolio. The scene feels chaotic, almost violent. What's your take on it? Curator: This piece speaks volumes about power dynamics. Who is watching, who is wrestling, and who is pinned down? Beckmann often used enclosed spaces to explore social anxieties after World War I. Editor: I see what you mean. The audience seems almost predatory. Curator: Precisely! Are they complicit? The sharp lines and claustrophobic setting reflect a society wrestling with its own demons, where the spectacle of violence serves as both a distraction and a symptom. Editor: It's unsettling how relevant those themes still are. Curator: Absolutely. Art like this challenges us to confront uncomfortable truths about ourselves and the structures we inhabit.