Liegende Frau in Wäsche (Woman in Corset Reclining ) [p. 70] 1927

Max Beckmann made this drawing of a reclining woman in a corset sometime around 1923, using what looks like a graphite pencil on paper. It's a quick sketch, really, but it captures so much with just a few lines. I'm imagining him, charcoal in hand, quickly trying to capture the essence of his model. She’s lying down, maybe exhausted, maybe bored, who knows? There's something vulnerable, yet powerful about the way he’s rendered her. The lines are light, almost tentative, but they define her form, her posture. It's not about perfection, but about feeling. I feel that this piece relates to other figurative works of the time, and I bet Beckmann was looking at some drawings by other artists, too. We’re all in conversation with each other, even across time. The best artists are always looking, always learning. And it’s the exchange of ideas and techniques that keeps us all going.