Ritratto di famiglia (i Battenberg)

Max Beckmann

1915

Ritratto di famiglia (i Battenberg) by Max Beckmann, 1915

Max Beckmann sketched this frantic family scene in 1915, a year that completely broke and remade his artistic style. Serving as a medic in World War I, he suffered a nervous breakdown, and his work shifted from calm realism to the jagged, emotional intensity of Expressionism. The figures are crammed together—a seated man, a looming woman, and a standing figure—all looking a bit anxious and mask-like, surrounding a small black animal. It feels less like a cozy family portrait and more like a snapshot of wartime anxiety, capturing the claustrophobic mood of the era.

Technique
pencil and charcoal sketch
Material
paper
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