Pierrot mit Pritsche (Performer) [p. 71]
1876 to 1900
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 16.2 x 10 cm (6 3/8 x 3 15/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Max Beckmann
Accession Number
1984.64.49.37
Art Historical Context
Behold Max Beckmann's *Pierrot mit Pritsche (former)*, a delicate graphite drawing on paper measuring just 16.2 x 10 cm. Created sometime between 1876 and1900, this intimate sketch captures the enigmatic figure of Pierrot—a classic character from commedia dell'arte, the masked clown known for his poignant melancholy and performative grace. Beckmann, a towering figure in early 20th-century German Expressionism, here renders the performer with a simple rod or switch (Pritsche), evoking themes of vulnerability and stagecraft that would echo throughout his career. Graphite's soft, versatile mediu...
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...