German painter and sculptor Georg Baselitz dies at 88
Georg Baselitz, originally named Hans-Georg Bruno Kern, was born on January 23, 1938, in Deutschbaselitz, Saxony, and passed away on April 30, 2026, at the age of 88. Renowned for his unconventional techniques, he often painted his works upside down. After being expelled from the Dresden Academy, he left East Germany in 1957. In 1961, he adopted the Baselitz name and held a censored solo exhibition in West Berlin in 1963. His notable 'Heldenbilder' series from 1965 stands as a significant postwar contribution. Baselitz represented Germany at the Venice Biennale in 1980. His later works include the 'Remix' series (2006) and 'Eroi d'Oro,' set to debut in Venice on May 6, 2026. Major exhibitions featured the Centre Pompidou (2021-2022) and Museo BBKmuseoa (October 2025 to March 2026). He became a member of the Académie des beaux-arts in 2021 and was honored as a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2012.
Key facts
- Georg Baselitz died on April 30, 2026, at age 88.
- Born Hans-Georg Bruno Kern on January 23, 1938, in Deutschbaselitz, Saxony.
- Expelled from Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and suspended from Weißensee Academy in 1957.
- Adopted the name Baselitz in 1961.
- First solo exhibition in West Berlin in 1963 was censored.
- Created the 'Heldenbilder' (Heroes) series in 1965.
- Began painting upside down in 1969.
- Represented Germany at the Venice Biennale in 1980.
- Married Elke Kretzschmar in 1962.
- Last series 'Eroi d'Oro' to be shown at Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice from May 6, 2026.
- Retrospective at Centre Pompidou from autumn 2021 to spring 2022 curated by Bernard Blistène.
- Exhibition 'Paintings 2014-2025. Something Everywhere' at Museo BBKmuseoa in Bilbao from October 2025 to March 2026.
- Sculpture 'Zero Dom' installed at Institut de France on October 27, 2021.
- Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2012 and Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters.
- Influenced by Picasso, Cranach, Schiele, and Munch.
Entities
Artists
- Georg Baselitz
- Anselm Kiefer
- Pablo Picasso
- Lucas Cranach the Elder
- Egon Schiele
- Edvard Munch
- Elke Kretzschmar
- Bernard Blistène
- Norman Rosenthal
- Jean-Marc Bustamante
- Hans-Georg Kern
- Sigmar Polke
- Gerhard Richter
- Harrison Birtwistle
- György Ligeti
- Richard Wagner
- Pierre Audi
- Rembrandt
- Robert Gernhardt
- Günter Grass
Institutions
- Académie des beaux-arts de Dresde
- école de Weißensee
- Biennale de Venise
- Centre Pompidou
- Musée Unterlinden
- Museo BBKmuseoa
- Fondazione Giorgio Cini
- Thaddaeus Ropac
- Institut de France
- Académie des beaux-arts
- Connaissance des Arts
- Le Figaro
- Berlin-Weißensee art school
- West Berlin University of the Arts
- Galerie Werner & Katz
- Documenta 5
- Documenta 7
- Venice Biennale
- Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna
- Serpentine South Gallery
- Museum der Moderne Salzburg
- Bavarian State Opera
- Chemnitz Opera House
- Monopol
- Art Academy of Dresden
- Weißensee Academy of Fine and Applied Arts
- NZZ
- Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac
- Contemporary Art Issue
- Royal Academy of Arts
- Actuart
Locations
- Deutschbaselitz
- Saxe
- Allemagne de l'Est
- Berlin-Est
- Berlin-Ouest
- Florence
- Venise
- Pantin
- Paris
- Colmar
- Bilbao
- Saxony
- Germany
- East Germany
- West Berlin
- Berlin
- Karlsruhe
- Amsterdam
- Derneburg
- Hildesheim
- Upper Bavaria
- Salzburg
- Austria
- France
- Vienna
- London
- United Kingdom
- Munich
- Venice
- Italy
- Inning am Ammersee
- East Berlin