Georg Baselitz, the German painter, sculptor, and printmaker known for turning his canvases upside down, has died at age 88. Born Hans-Georg Kern in Saxony in 1938, he witnessed the bombing of Dresden as a child, an experience that shaped his artistic vision. Expelled from art school in East Berlin, he moved to West Berlin and adopted the name Baselitz. His first solo exhibition in 1963 was deemed obscene and confiscated. In 1969, he created his first upside-down painting, which became his signature. He rose to international prominence as a neo-expressionist in the late 1970s and 80s, represented Germany at the Venice Biennale in 1980, and continued working until his death. A recent series of his paintings will be shown at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice from May to September 2026.
Baselitz's death marks the end of an era for post-war German art. He was a pivotal figure who rejected both socialist realism and Western abstraction, forging a raw, expressive style that confronted Germany's traumatic history. His upside-down paintings challenged viewers to see beyond representation, and his controversial use of Nazi-era imagery sparked essential debates about art and memory. His legacy as a provocateur and innovator will continue to influence generations of artists grappling with history, identity, and the limits of artistic freedom.