Das Karussell (Merry-Go-Round), plate 7 from Jahrmarkt

In his seminal Jahrmarkt portfolio, Beckmann imagines the world as a carnival bursting with an eclectic cast of characters, among them many friends and acquaintances of the artist. He cleverly portrays himself in the first plate of the series as carnival barker, beckoning viewers to enter and behold his curious world of outsiders and misfits. For the print Merry-Go-Round, one of ten drypoints composing the series, he uses the image of a crowded carousel as an apt metaphor for the apparent aimlessness of life. Beckmann completed part of the Jahrmarkt series while traveling in Austria where he visited the Vienna Prater, a permanent amusement park founded in the 18th century.