männlicher Kopf (Man's Head) [p. 96]
1914/1915
![männlicher Kopf (Man's Head) [p. 96] by Max Beckmann](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.artheonmuseum.org%2Fnga%2Fthumb%2Fmnnlicher-kopf-mans-head-p-96-nga-65105.webp&w=3840&q=75)
Medium
graphite on lined paper
Dimensions
page size: 15.2 x 9.5 cm (6 x 3 3/4 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Max Beckmann
Accession Number
1984.64.50.16
Art Historical Context
Max Beckmann's *männlicher Kopf (Man's)*, created around 1914/1915, captures the intensity of the human form in a modest yet powerful graphite drawing on lined notebook paper. Measuring just 15.2 x 9.5 cm, this intimate sketch exemplifies Beckmann's early Expressionist tendencies, where bold lines and psychological depth convey raw emotion. As a German artist on the cusp of World War I, Beckmann infused his work with the era's turmoil; he volunteered for medical service that year, and such studies reflect his fascination with the human psyche amid looming catastrophe. The use of graphite on e...
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...