weibliches Profilbildnis (Female Profile) [p. 19]
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
1984.64.41.5
Art Historical Context
Max Beckmann's *Weibliches Profilbildnis (Female Profile)*, created in 1927, the artist's masterful command of graphite on paper in this intimate drawing measuring just 17 x 11.8 cm. Beckmann, a towering figure in German Expressionism, was known for his raw, psychological intensity, often distorting forms to convey inner turmoil amid the turbulent Weimar Republic era. This profile portrait exemplifies his skill in quick, evocative sketches, likely a study from life or imagination, rendered with precise, economical lines that suggest volume and emotion on a modest page. The work's historical s...
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...