Georg Baselitz (born 1938) is a towering figure in post-war German art and a pioneer of the Neo-Expressionist movement, often associated with the ‘Neue Wilden’ (New Fauves). Growing up in the shadow of World War II and the subsequent division of Germany, Baselitz developed a style that was both a reaction against the academic realism of the East and the cool abstraction of the West.
In 1969, Baselitz began his most famous practice: painting his subjects upside down. This radical decision was intended to strip the image of its narrative or symbolic content, forcing the viewer to focus entirely on the formal qualities of the work—the brushwork, the color, and the composition. By inverting the figure, he achieved a sense of ‘pure’ painting that remained grounded in the physical world.
Baselitz’s work is known for its raw, aggressive energy and its frequent use of distorted, monumental figures. His sculptures, often hacked out of wood with a chainsaw or axe, share this same sense of primal power. His art delves into themes of national identity, the trauma of war, and the resilience of the human form. As one of the most significant artists of his generation, Baselitz has consistently challenged the conventions of representation, leaving an indelible mark on the history of modern art.