Mann mit erhobenem Arm (Man with a Raised Hand) [p. 68]

Art Historical Context

**Mann mit erhobenem ArmMan with a Raised Hand is a compelling graphite drawing by Max Beck, created sometime between 1926 and1950. Rendered on a modest sheet of perforated cream paper measuring just 14 x 20 cm, this intimate work captures a solitary male figure in a dramatic gesture, emblematic of Beckmann's intense focus on the human form amid existential tension. Housed in the National Gallery of Art as a gift from Mrs. Max Beckmann, it exemplifies the artist's prolific output of drawings, which often served as personal meditations or studies for larger paintings. Beckmann, a leading figure in German Expressionism and New Objectivity, navigated turbulent times—from the Weimar Republic's cultural ferment to Nazi persecution, exile in Amsterdam during World War II, and postwar resettlement in the United States. This broad date range places the drawing within his mature period, when his angular lines and symbolic motifs conveyed psychological depth and societal critique. Graphite on perforated paper hints at a sketchbook origin, allowing for quick, expressive marks that build volume and emotion through hatching and contour. For visitors, this piece reveals Beckmann's mastery in distilling profound human drama into small-scale works, inviting reflection on resilience and isolation in a fractured era. Its preservation underscores the enduring value of such personal artifacts from a giant of 20th-century art.

About the Artist

Max Beckmann · 1884–1950

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...