Weather Vane - Max Beckmann

A 1946 lithograph by Max Beckmann from the Day and Dream portfolio. It features a mermaid weather vane and two large birds rendered in bold, expressive lines.

Max Beckmann produced Weather Vane in 1946 as part of his Day and Dream portfolio. This series consists of fifteen lithographs commissioned by the dealer Curt Valentin in New York. Beckmann was living in Amsterdam at the time, having moved there after his work was labelled degenerate by the German authorities. The portfolio represents a period of transition before his eventual move to the United States in 1947. The composition features a weather vane in the form of a mermaid or siren. She holds a large arrow and sits atop a vertical pole. Her form is defined by heavy, black lithographic crayon marks that create a sense of weight. Below her, two large birds perch on a horizontal bar. These avian figures occupy the middle ground with their dark and textured plumage. In the lower left, a small sailboat moves across a body of water, providing a sense of scale and distance. Beckmann used a transfer lithography technique for this series. He drew directly onto specially prepared paper, which was then transferred to the lithographic stone. This method preserved the immediate and sketch-like quality of his hand. The lines are thick and expressive, which is a hallmark of his late style. He avoided traditional perspective, instead stacking elements vertically to create a compressed space. This lack of depth is common in his work from the 1940s. The imagery in Weather Vane is symbolic but remains open to interpretation. Beckmann often used mythological or circus motifs to comment on the human condition. The siren and the birds suggest themes of direction, fate, or observation. The contrast between the heavy black ink and the cream-coloured paper emphasises the graphic strength of the work. Beckmann used these bold forms to create a narrative that avoids easy explanation.