Baselitz Retrospective in Baden-Baden Showcases Private Collections

A retrospective of Georg Baselitz's paintings, drawn exclusively from private collections, was held at Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden from November 21, 2009, to March 14, 2010. The museum received more works than expected due to collector trust. The exhibition was organized chronologically and by size across three levels of Richard Meier's building. It included early 1960s works like a drawing of 'Die Grosse Nacht im Eimer' (1962), whose first solo show at Galerie Werner & Katz in Berlin was confiscated by police. The 'Helder' series from around 1965 featured allegorical figures symbolizing the artist's fragile position and Nazi-ruined culture. 'Frakturbilder' like 'B für Larry' (1967) showed bodies sectioned at the waist. From 1969, Baselitz inverted his figures, a gesture of freedom. 'Fingermalerei' from the early 1970s displayed a more realistic style, followed by 'Orange Eaters' in the early 1980s and large diptychs. The 1990s and 2000s were less represented, though the 'Remix' series (from 2005) reinterpreted earlier works, such as 'Schwarz (Remix)' (2007) with a Mondrianesque background forming a swastika. The adjacent Staatliche Kunsthalle exhibited sculptures from 1979 onward, including 'Modell für eine Skulptur' (1979-80), which caused controversy at a Venice Biennale. The exhibition ended with two large wooden self-portraits wearing caps inscribed 'Zero', reflecting the artist's humor.