Beckmann Sketchbook 36 1924 - 1925

This is Max Beckmann’s sketchbook. Looking at the cover, there are smudges, smears, and stains, all in a palette of browns and greys. You can tell it has been through a lot. I can imagine Beckmann carrying this around with him, from place to place, maybe even during the war, and scribbling down ideas, thoughts, and sketches as they came to him. What was he thinking when he made these marks? Was he angry? Happy? Confused? There are also some white scuff marks on the cover, which are maybe small accidents or corrections. They remind me that painting is a process of trial and error, a constant back-and-forth between intention and accident. Beckmann was part of a generation of artists grappling with some pretty heavy stuff, and his work often reflects that. He was in dialogue with the world. I am sure he would have been fascinated to know people are still looking at his work today. His sketches are like seeds, containing the potential for infinite growth and interpretation.