The Way Home, plate two from Die Hölle

Max Beckmann introduced his print cycle Hell with this image, also depicted on the cover of the portfolio with the following text: “Hell. (Grand Spectacle in ten images by Beckmann.) Honored ladies and gentlemen of the public, pray step up. We can offer you the pleasant prospect of ten minutes or so in which you will not be bored. Full satisfaction guaranteed, or else your money back.” In the manner of a street vender or hawker, Beckmann ironically encouraged the viewer to step into this world of supposed entertainment. The black dog at the bottom, reminiscent of Cerberus, signals the actual content of the images to follow.