Line (Single Line) [p. 21]
1927
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
graphite on paper
Dimensions
page size: 17 x 11.8 cm (6 11/16 x 4 5/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Max Beckmann
Accession Number
1984.64.41.6
Art Historical Context
Max Beckmann's *Line (Single Line)p. 21]* (1927) is a delicate graphite drawing on paper, measuring just 17 x 11.8 cm, showcasing the artist's masterful command of line in its purest form. Created during the Weimar Republic era, when Beckmann was at the height of his career in Frankfurt, this intimate sketch exemplifies his Expressionist roots. Known for his bold, psychologically charged paintings, Beckmann often turned to drawing as a foundational practice, using graphite's subtle tonal range to explore form, tension, and human emotion with economical precision. The title itself highlights t...
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...