Centre Pompidou - Baselitz La rétrospective

The aftermath of the war - Georg Baselitz

1. Georg Baselitz, Der Richter, 1965, Oil on canvas,

162 x 130 cm, Private Collection, Hambourg, Photo: © Georg

Baselitz 2021 + Photo by Jochen Littkemann, Berlin

The earliest black - a journey into the oeuvre and life of the young Baselitz

On view until the 7th of March 2022, the exhibition and the timing flies bye, such as the earliest years of Georg Baselitz. Thus, the young artist, which is born in 1938 as Hans-Georg Kern, will later grab the name of his village, Großbaselitz (renamed Deutschbaselitz in 1948) in 1961.

Nonetheless, his childhood his highly linked to the context of the Second World War, the Nazi regime and the authority of the war, which will destroy or/and changed most of Europe. After the Second World War, he grew up under the regime of the German Democratic Republic, which prohibited the production of abstract paintings that would be called capitalism.

In 1956, Georg Baselitz was admitted to the "Hochschule für bildende und angewandte Kunst" in Weissensee in East Berlin, and began to study painting with Walter Womacka (1925-2010). Which was considered to be the most important representatives of socialist realism in the German Democratic Republic.

2. Georg Baselitz, Ralf III, 1965, Oil on canvas, 100,5 x

80 cm, Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris,

P. Midget Dist. RMN-GP

His earlier inspirations - Manifesto,

Munch and Degenerate

Already as a student and later as a "professional" artist, Georg Baselitz always worked by series, to create a corpus of oeuvre and a bigger meaning to the subject and his reflection. Thus, one of his first works, which will be made with text and drawings is in the "Pandämonisches Manifest", which will be written with his friend Eugen Schönebeck.

At the same time, in the early 1960s, the artist started a new series of works around the theme of the heroes, with the start of the fractured and fragmented motif and the use of pattern or repetitive motif and shapes between the canvas. With this new pictoral techniques, a new aesthetic unfold.

Thus, he will nourish this new beginning with numerous references to the history of art such as Edvard Munch, Otto Dix or Willem de Kooning and more widely non-western and European art.

Nonetheless, after his studies and art history lessons, he will draw inspiration from the works of Pablo Picasso. But, the art teach didn't like is lacked of inspiration and his thought he lost his "social-cultural maturity". This event will lead him to cross the border to continue his studies at the Staatliche Hochschule für bildende Künste in West Berlin.

This new class and rhythm will lead to discovered new art movement in France, Europe or abroad such as the American abstract expressionism. All of this to say that Baselitz was an avant-garde, in advance from his artist generation and non-conformist.

A text and a revelation - Expressions of Madness - 1922

3. Georg Baselitz, G.Kopf (G.-Head), 1960-1961, Oil on canvas,

135 x 100 cm, Private Collection, Photo: © Georg

Baselitz 2021 + Photo by Jochen Littkemann, Berlin

When Hans Prinzhorn, a celebrated psychiatric and German Art historian published in 1922 the text "Expressions of Madness", he inspired the artist to make this painting. Thus, this is the first one you encounter in the show.

This will later on, in Octobre 1961 incite the artist to make with text and drawings the "Pandämonisches Manifest", which will be written with his friend Eugen Schönebeck. This Manifesto, which the titled referred to the palace of Satan named Pandæmonium (evoked by John Milton in "Paradise Lost" from 1667), will lead to an imaginary place which echo the post-apocalyptic Germany in 1945.

4. Georg Baselitz, P.D.-Füsse (P.D. Feet), 1960-1963, Oil on canvas,

Multiple sized, Private Collection, Photo: © Christie's London

His relation to Old Masters

Made with dark tones and evoking the preparatory drawings of Théodore Géricault, Le Radeau de la Méduse (1818-1819), this series of works are fragmented views of the foots and details of the world-known picture. Thus, the artist use more abstract, thick and gestural matter than Géricault, but Baselitz, with this picture, start a relation to Old Masters.

At the same moment, the art scene developed a new style. From the Pop artist to the new art scene in West Germany. By flying out of Germany and by following a residence in Florence, Baselitz create a new German painting. This will be flourished by two works titled Ein neuer Typ (A new type) and also Helden (Hero). One of this final ensemble of works of this period is a homage to old masters scenes and early impressionist painters such as the homage to Gustave Courbet with the painting B.j.M.C. – Hello Monsieur Courbet (1965).

His first fragmentation

5. Georg Baselitz, Die grossen Freunde (The great Friends), 1965, Oil on canvas, 252 x 301,5 cm,

Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Gift from the Ludwig Collection, 1994, Photo: © Georg Baselitz 2021

+ Rheinisches Bildarchiv Köln, Schlier, Britta, 2008, rba_d005497

The figuration, abstraction and fragmentation are always a theme and process personal to the oeuvre of Georg Baselitz. Thus, one of the first fragmentation he made was with the picture Die großen Freunde (The Great Friends) from 1965.

The picture, which depict the tragedy of Germany through two wounded survivors unable to hold their hands, and standing in a decor and a flag. In his later painting of the same series, the figures are further segmented and allow the intrusion of other motifs such as figures, dogs or trees.

This subject of helping each others and carrying personage will later depict the story of the "After War" period, after the wall of Berlin. He will not depict it as a series of paintings, but by revoking an old medium: wood.

Thus, the group of sculpture titled Dresdner Frauen (Women of Dresden) made in 1989-1990 is paying homage to the women who had helped rebuild German cities as early as 1945.

Shocking (in a good way)

6. Georg Baselitz, Der Wald aux dem Kopf (Forest Upside Down), 1969, Oil on canvas, 250 x 190 cm,

His Landshaft, his landscape were my favorite works of the exhibition. First of all, I didn't know he made landscape, but when I see those picture, full of freshness, of inspirations from Edvard Munch or the German artist Emile Nolde, I did recognize his talent.

Informations about the exhibition

Place: Centre Pompidou

Date: 20.10.2021 – 7.3.2022

Curators: Bernard Blistène & Pamela Sticht

Ticket: Available on the website of the Centre Pompidou OR at the front desk of the museum

Informations about the Centre Pompidou

Place Georges-Pompidou

75004 Paris

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Centre Pompidou - Baselitz La rétrospective