Crawling Woman (Original Title)Blatt 5 aus der Mappe „Day and Dream“ 1946

Max Beckmann made this lithograph called "Crawling Woman" using black ink to create a world of lines and shapes. It’s from a portfolio titled “Day and Dream,” which seems spot on because there’s something both very real and also dreamlike, or even nightmarish, about the image. I’m interested in how Beckmann’s marks are both incredibly raw and awkward but also really carefully considered. Notice how he uses cross-hatching to build up areas of shadow and volume, like in the figure’s torso and around the dark shape that sits behind her. The lines aren't precious, but they're incredibly descriptive and emotionally charged. The woman's face, with its worried expression, is particularly striking. The way he’s drawn the hands, each finger delineated as individual sausages, adds to the sense of unease. Beckmann reminds me of Picasso, but more brooding and intense. Both artists had a fascination with the human figure, but Beckmann brings a certain psychological depth that feels very modern.