Baselitz, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, has died
German artist Georg Baselitz, one of the leading artists of the second half of the 20th century, has died at the age of 88.
This was reported by Deutsche Welle.
Baselitz, whose real name was Hans-Georg Kern, was born in 1938 in Saxony. The artist explored themes of war, historical trauma, dictatorship, and culture’s responsibility for the past.
In his youth, he studied in East Berlin but was expelled for “political immaturity.” He later moved to West Berlin, where he quickly gained a reputation as a provocative artist.
One of the most famous features of his work was painting pictures upside down—a technique he began using in the late 1960s to force the viewer to focus on form rather than content.
In 1963, his works were even confiscated from an exhibition on charges of “immorality,” and criminal proceedings were initiated against the artist himself.
Later, Baselitz became one of Germany’s most expensive artists, and in 2004 he received the prestigious Praemium Imperiale award.
At the same time, he remained a controversial figure—his public statements have repeatedly drawn criticism, particularly regarding his remarks about female artists and his political sympathies.
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