Georg Baselitz
Georg Baselitz (b. 1938) is one of the most influential and provocative figures in contemporary European art, known for his bold, sometimes controversial approach to figuration and abstraction. A pivotal member of the postwar German art scene, Baselitz's work is defined by his unflinching engagement with the complexities of history, identity, and the human condition. Often challenging conventional notions of representation, his art explores the relationships between personal trauma, political upheaval, and artistic expression, creating deeply emotional and confrontational imagery.
Baselitz’s breakthrough came in the 1960s with his series of invertierte Bilder (upside-down paintings), where he began to paint human figures, landscapes, and objects in an inverted orientation. This technique, as exemplified in works like The Great Friends (1965) and Self-Portrait with Model (1973), was both a radical visual strategy and a conceptual inquiry. By inverting the imagery, Baselitz sought to distance his work from traditional modes of representation, forcing viewers to confront the emotional and psychological content of his paintings without the distraction of easily recognizable forms. The inversion, for Baselitz, was not merely formal; it was also symbolic, representing a disorienting break from the past and the violent upheavals of postwar Germany.
Georg Baselitz, Ein Roter, 1966
One of Baselitz's most enduring themes is the exploration of the human body, particularly the figure in a state of vulnerability or disintegration. His Hero series (1965–66), for instance, depicts large, distorted figures that appear both monumental and grotesque, as they confront the legacy of war and trauma. These works evoke a sense of raw emotion, power, and alienation, reflecting the artist’s personal history growing up in postwar East Germany, as well as Germany’s broader reckoning with its recent past. Baselitz’s figures, often marked by violence, fragility, and isolation, stand as both victims and survivors of history.
Baselitz’s work is also marked by his deep engagement with the tradition of German Expressionism, drawing on the emotive power of brushwork and color while rejecting the idealized figures and forms of classical representation. In the 1980s, Baselitz moved further into abstraction, incorporating fragmented and expressive shapes, while maintaining a powerful sense of figuration beneath the surface. His later works, such as those in the New Types (1980s) and Black Paintings series (1990s), see figures fragmented or reduced to near-total abstraction, reinforcing the artist’s ongoing exploration of deconstruction and reconstitution of the human form.
Georg Baselitz, Orangenesser VII, 1982
Throughout his career, Baselitz’s work has sparked intense debate, not only because of its provocative nature but also due to its engagement with Germany's fraught history. His willingness to confront themes of destruction, identity, and national trauma, alongside his uncompromising formal experimentation, has made him a central figure in both the German and international art worlds.
Today, Georg Baselitz’s work is housed in major museums and collections across the globe, including the Tate Modern in London, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. Despite the controversy his work often stirs, Baselitz’s legacy remains a testament to the power of art to challenge, provoke, and redefine cultural narratives. He continues to live and work in Germany, where his impact on contemporary art endures.
Georg Baselitz, Das letzte Selbstbildnis I, 1982
Georg Baselitz, Der Brückechor (The Brücke Chorus), 1983