Quatrième classe I
1913
Max Beckmann captures the gritty exhaustion of modern travel in this 1913 print, part of his expressionist exploration of everyday life. Two figures slump on a wooden bench, likely waiting for a train in the cheapest 'fourth class' carriage. The man on the left, sporting a bowler hat and crossed arms, stares out with a guarded expression, while his companion is completely passed out, head buried in his hands. The scratchy, aggressive lines create a sense of movement and unease, reflecting the underlying anxiety of Europe just before the outbreak of World War I.
- Technique
- etching
- Material
- paper
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