Portretten van twee onbekende officieren 1915 - 1919

Editor: This is "Portraits of Two Unknown Officers," an etching made by Max Beckmann sometime between 1915 and 1919. It feels almost like a quick sketch, capturing a moment, and honestly, the men seem… a bit severe? What's your take on it? Curator: Ah, yes. Beckmann. He was an old soul, you know, trapped in the brutal modernity of the early 20th century. These aren't just portraits; they're glimpses into the psychic landscape of a post-war world. See how the lines are so jagged, almost violent? What does that say about the officers to you? Editor: I guess it suggests they're not exactly at peace. Maybe hardened by the war? Curator: Precisely. There's a deep unease radiating from them. Beckmann wasn't interested in flattering likenesses. He used the etching needle like a scalpel, dissecting their souls, wouldn't you say? Editor: Absolutely. I hadn’t thought about the lines as a tool for dissecting the soul, that makes sense. It's much darker than your average portrait. It really digs under the skin. Curator: It does, doesn’t it? Almost cruelly honest. You know, Beckmann himself served in World War I, and that experience shaped his entire artistic vision. What do you make of their blank stares? Editor: That makes it much clearer - and unsettling. They're disconnected, maybe? Numbed? Like they've seen too much? The artist managed to catch the real impact war has on people. I wonder how many portraits like these exist in other works? Curator: Good question! Think about Picasso's "Guernica" or Kathe Kollwitz's prints, for example... there is lots to explore there. What did you think? Editor: It feels like you are witnessing an historical, emotional scream. Curator: That, I'd say, sums it up rather beautifully. It is haunting, really.