LAMAMIMET

Georg Baselitz was born Hans‑Georg Bruno Kern on 23 January 1938 in the village of Deutschbaselitz in Saxony, then part of Nazi‑ruled Germany. He grew up amid the ruins of World II, studied art in East Berlin before being expelled, and later continued his training in West Berlin, adopting the name Georg Baselitz in 1961 after his birthplace.

Emerging in the 1960s as a leading figure of the Neo‑Expressionist movement, Baselitz gained early attention with his figurative, expressive works and provocative subjects. In 1969 he began painting his images upside down, a radical gesture intended to challenge conventional representation and emphasize the artifice of painting. This inverted style became his signature and secured his reputation as a “titan of contemporary painting,” influencing generations of artists.

Throughout his career Baselitz worked across painting, sculpture, drawing and printmaking, with his works held in major museums worldwide and fetching high prices at auction. He received numerous awards and honors, and his art was celebrated for its emotional intensity and confrontational spirit. Baselitz died peacefully on 30 April 2026 at the age of 88.