Georg Baselitz, the German Neo-Expressionist painter known for his provocative, upside-down figurative works, has died at age 88. Along with contemporaries like Anselm Kiefer, Baselitz led a frontal assault on the dominant Minimalist and Conceptualist art movements of the 1970s, reviving expressive, gestural painting in postwar Germany.
Baselitz's death marks the end of an era for German art. His defiant, often confrontational style—most famously his decision to paint subjects upside down—challenged artistic conventions and helped redefine painting's role in the late 20th century. His legacy as a key figure in Neo-Expressionism continues to influence generations of artists.