Ugi Battenberg, Resting on a Cushion
1917
Max Beckmann captures a moment of raw vulnerability in this 1917 sketch of Ugi Battenberg resting on a pillow. Created during the height of World War I, the drawing reflects Beckmann's own trauma from serving as a medical orderly, where he witnessed horrific suffering that led to a nervous breakdown. The frantic, scratchy lines don't just show a man sleeping; they vibrate with the anxiety and intensity of the Expressionist movement, turning a quiet moment of rest into something almost restless and haunting.