Children at the Window
Max Beckmann (1884-1950), Kinder am Fenster (Children at the Window), drypoint, 1922, signed and numbered (18/35) in pencil. Reference: Hofmaier 237, second state (of 2).
In excellent condition, on a cream wove paper, the full sheet with deckle edges, 12 1/2 x 8 3/4, the sheet 20 5/8 x 14 7/8 inches, archival matting.
A fine fresh impression of this relatively rare print, made in an edition of only 35. The effect of the drypoint burr is striking.
This penetrating portrait of two boys talking with each other in front of a window is seemingly fraught with meaning, yet it remains mysterious to this viewer. The boy at the right, kneeling on a chair, appears to hold the “cross” of the window; his comrade has his hands in his pockets. The buildings outside may be churches, or perhaps not, but neither boy is looking outside. What is clear is Beckmann’s classic composition: two figures focused and framed – at a slight angle – within the curtained window.