Georg Baselitz, Neo-Expressionist Who Upended German Art, Dies at 88
Georg Baselitz, the pioneering German Neo-Expressionist artist known for his provocative, often upside-down paintings, has died at age 88. His death was confirmed by his family in an obituary by poet Robert Isaf shared with Thaddeus Ropac, his gallery of over 20 years. Born Hans-Georg Kern in 1938, he adopted the name Baselitz from his home village Deutschbaselitz in East Germany. Expelled from art school in East Berlin for 'sociopolitical immaturity,' he moved to West Berlin and graduated from the Berlin University of the Arts in 1962. His first solo show in 1963 led to a legal dispute when two paintings were seized for public indecency; they were returned in 1965. He began his iconic 'Heroes' series in 1965 and created his first upside-down painting in 1969, a technique meant to disrupt perception. Controversy followed: his works offended at documenta 5 in 1972; his 1980 Venice Biennale sculpture sparked Nazi salute accusations; and in 2013 he made headlines for remarks about women painters. He continued producing drawings, prints, and sculptures until his death. His final series, 'Eroi d’Oro (Heroes of Gold),' debuts May 6 at Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice. He is survived by his wife Johanna 'Elke' Kretzschmar and sons Daniel Blau and Anton Kern, both art dealers.
Key facts
- Georg Baselitz died at age 88, confirmed by his family via an obituary by Robert Isaf shared with Thaddeus Ropac.
- Born Hans-Georg Kern in 1938, he renamed himself after his home village Deutschbaselitz in 1961.
- He was expelled from the University of Fine and Applied Arts in East Berlin for 'sociopolitical immaturity' after two semesters.
- His first solo exhibition in 1963 led to the seizure of two paintings for public indecency; they were returned in 1965.
- He began his 'Heroes' series in 1965 and created his first upside-down painting in 1969.
- His 1980 Venice Biennale sculpture was criticized for resembling a Nazi salute; Baselitz said it referenced West African Lobi carvings.
- In 2013, he made controversial remarks about women painters in Der Spiegel and The Guardian, later claiming they were taken out of context.
- His final series 'Eroi d’Oro (Heroes of Gold)' opens May 6 at Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice.
Entities
Artists
- Georg Baselitz
- Gerhard Richter
- Jackson Pollock
- Philip Guston
- Anselm Kiefer
- Helen Frankenthaler
- Kiki Smith
- Robert Isaf
- Johanna 'Elke' Kretzschmar
- Daniel Blau
- Anton Kern
- Elke Kretzschmar
- Hans-Georg Kern
- Igor Stravinsky
- Jean Fautrier
- Jean Dubuffet
- Auguste Rodin
- Elke
- Wassily Kandinsky
- Kazimir Malevič
- A.R. Penck
- Sol LeWitt
- Donald Judd
- Julian Schnabel
- Sandro Chia
- Francesco Clemente
- Enzo Cucchi
- Willem de Kooning
- Francis Bacon
- Antonin Artaud
- Pablo Picasso
- Chaissac
- Michaux
- Picabia
Institutions
- Artnet News
- Thaddeus Ropac
- University of Fine and Applied Arts in East Berlin
- Art Academy of Dresden
- Berlin University of the Arts
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Fondation Beyeler
- documenta 5
- Venice Biennale
- Gagosian
- Fondazione Giorgio Cini
- Der Spiegel
- The Guardian
- Sotheby's London
- Thaddaeus Ropac
- East Berlin Academy
- Hochschule für Bildende Künst
- Kunsthistorisches Museum
- Centre Pompidou
- The Art Newspaper
- Dasartes
- Academy of Fine and Applied Arts in East Berlin
- École des beaux-arts de Berlin-Ouest
- Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Karlsruhe
- musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris
- Museum Ludwig
- Werner & Katz
- Biennale di Venezia
- Reichstag
- Museo Novecento
- Palazzo Medici Riccardi
- Hungarian National Museum
- Comune di Firenze
- Artribune
- exibart.com
- Accademia di Berlino Est
- Die Brücke
- Galerie Thaddeus Ropac
- Académie des Beaux-Arts
- Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM)
- Documenta
- Thaddaeus Ropac gallery
- Guggenheim Museum
- Royal Academy of Arts
- Museo di Palazzo Grimani
- designboom
- Galerie Ropac
- Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
- Hochschule der Künste
- German Pavilion of the Venice Biennale
Locations
- Deutschbaselitz
- East Germany
- Dresden
- East Berlin
- West Berlin
- Florence
- New York
- Basel
- Venice
- Italy
- Germany
- Upper Lusatia
- Vienna
- Paris
- San Giorgio Maggiore
- Saxony
- Berlin
- German Democratic Republic
- Salzburg
- Lake Geneva
- Saxe
- Berlin-Ouest
- Karlsruhe
- Cologne
- Bilbao
- Kamenz
- Tuscany
- Budapest
- Kassel
- United States
- Charlottenburg
- France
- Bavaria
- Ammersee
- Upper Lausitz