Georg Baselitz, the German painter whose raw, expressive works captured the great rupture of the 20th century and helped redefine postwar art, has died aged 88.
Born in 1938 in the village of Deutschbaselitz, northeast of Dresden, Baselitz was a child of Nazi Germany. He survived two dictatorships: Hitler's Nazism and Stalin's Soviet grip over eastern Europe. The horrors he witnessed infused his work, from his early 'pandemonic phase' with deformed figures to his iconic inverted paintings.
A Life Shaped by War
Growing up near Dresden, Baselitz saw the horrific destruction of World War II and its aftermath under East German communist rule. This experience made him a defining artist of the postwar period, a rebel who challenged conventions. In 1966, he created Das Grosse Pathos, a work that reflects the trauma of his youth.
The Inverted Revolution
From the late 1960s, Baselitz began painting many of his works upside down. This technique gave his art a spontaneous quality and freed the viewer from representational context. Works like Schwarze Säule (Black Column) and Die Dornenkrönung (The Crowning With Thorns), shown in London in 2018, exemplify this approach.
Later Career and Recognition
In 2024, Baselitz presented A Confession of My Sins at White Cube Bermondsey, featuring 50 new paintings blending portraiture, memory, and figures, including depictions of himself and his wife, Elke. His 2020 exhibition at White Cube Mason's Yard showcased ghostly hands in gold and bronze sculptures. In 2021, he was inducted into L'Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
Baselitz's work has been exhibited worldwide, including at the Serpentine Gallery in London, the Zwinger museum in Dresden, and the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice. His wooden sculptures Dresdner Frauen (Women of Dresden) were displayed at the Zwinger in 2009, a tribute to his hometown.
Legacy
Baselitz is survived by his wife Elke. He leaves behind a body of work that redefined painting and sculpture, confronting the traumas of history with unflinching honesty. His inverted figures and raw expression will continue to challenge and inspire.
