Mittelalterlich gekleideter Mann, Trompete blasend mit Pferd (Medieval Trumpeter by His Horse) [p. 1] 

This is a pencil sketch by Max Beckmann entitled 'Medieval Trumpeter by His Horse.' Beckmann lived through both World Wars, events which profoundly shaped his artistic vision. His work often grapples with themes of alienation, psychological distress, and the search for meaning in a fragmented world. Beckmann’s choice of subject matter is telling; a figure from the medieval era, perhaps a herald, frozen in time. The drawing exudes a sense of the absurd, with the trumpeter’s call rendered silent on the page, creating a tension between past glory and present uncertainty. Beckmann’s personal experience with the trauma of war seeps into his artistic expression. This sketch offers us a glimpse into an artist's struggle to reconcile historical narratives with the stark realities of his time. It reminds us of the emotional weight carried by those who witness the collapse of established orders, and how art can become a vessel for processing collective trauma.