The Billy Goat
1946
Imagine a street performance gone surreal: that's the vibe of Max Beckmann's 1946 lithograph 'Der Bock' (The Goat). A scruffy goat with a serious attitude stands on a bucket next to a tall, cloaked figure who looks like a magician mid-trick, raising a hand as if casting a spell. Beckmann, a German Expressionist, created this while living in exile in Amsterdam, fleeing the Nazis. The scratchy, energetic lines give it a raw, nervous energy typical of his post-war work. While it looks like a circus act—Beckmann loved using performers as metaphors for artists—the 'Bock' (goat) is often a symbol for a scapegoat, hinting at the heavy burdens of the era.
- Technique
- Lithograph