Beckmann Sketchbook 20
1917-1923
Medium
Sketchbook with 32 sketches; 26 in graphite, 5 in charcoal, and 1 in purple colored pencil.
Dimensions
book: 16.3 x 10 x 5 cm (6 7/16 x 3 15/16 x 1 15/16 in.)
Classification
Volume
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Max Beckmann
Accession Number
1984.64.36.1-32
Art Historical Context
Step into the intimate world of Max Beckmann *Sketchbook 20*, treasured volume from 1917–1923 now housed in the National Gallery Art. Gifted by Mrs. Max Beckmann, compact book (16.3 x 10 x 5 cm) holds 32 sketches—26 in precise graphite, 5 in bold charcoal, and one vibrant in purple colored pencil. Created during the turbulent years bridging World War I and the Republic, it captures Beckmann's raw creative process amid personal and global upheaval. Beckmann, towering figure in German Expressionism, underwent a profound crisis during his WWI service as a medical orderly, leading to a mental bre...
About the Artist
Max Beckmann
Max Carl Friedrich Beckmann (1884-1950) stands as one of the most significant German painters of the twentieth century, a complex artist who bridged Expressionism and the New Objectivity while forging a deeply personal visual language. Born in Leipzig into a middle-class family, Beckmann's artistic journey spanned from academic classicism through the traumatic crucible of World War I to a mature s...