Pen,ink and watercolour on paper

65.5 x 51 cm.25 4/5 x 20 in.

Signed in English on bottom left; dated on bottom right
EXHIBITED
13 Feb – 24 Mar, Georg Baselitz: The Bridge Ghost's Supper, Contemporary Fine Arts Gallery, Berlin
28 Aug – 5 Oct 2007, Georg Baselitz: Heroes & Remix, Karsten Schubert Gallery, London

PROVENANCE
Contemporary Fine Arts Gallery, Berlin
Karsten Schubert Gallery, London
Private Collection, Asia

Note: Two labels of London Karsten Schubert Gallery and Berlin Contemporary Fine Arts Gallery are affixed on the reverse

An Angel Turning Toward the Past
Georg Baselitz: Reconciliation with the History

“This is how one pictures the angel of history. His face is turned toward the past. (...) But a storm is blowing from Paradise; it has got caught in his wings with such violence that the angel can no longer close them. This storm irresistibly propels him into the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before him grows skyward. This storm is what we call progress.”
—Benjamin Walter, German philosopher

Georg Baselitz was born in Saxony, Germany, in 1938. At the age of 20, he moved to West Germany. In 1963, after two of his works exhibited at the Werner & Katz Gallery were forcibly withdrawn due to political unrest, he decided to leave Berlin. Around 1969, Baselitz began to reflect on the darkness of the times and the state he lived in, and his reflection was echoed in the inverted images he started to paint. He believes that artistic creation is “liberated from content”, his works therefore often featuring strong colors and rough lines, making him a representative of German neo-expressionism. Currently, he is represented by the international Gagosian and White Cube galleries. Onhe Titel (1.XII.06), featured in this auction, was once exhibited at Contemporary Fine Arts (CFA) in Berlin and is one of Baselitz's notable paper painting works created in recent years.

In 2003, Baselitz created a series of works centered on the theme of “two feet”. The feet featured in Onhe Titel (1.XII.06) are placed in the center of the picture, catching the eye. The folds of the leather shoes and trousers are depicted with slightly messy and rough lines. The feet are no longer inverted; neither are they rotated. Rather, they stand steadily, reflecting the artist's state of peace at the time. In terms of colour palette, Baselitz utlize of the characteristics of watercolour (i.e. transparency and the ability to create gradual color change) and utilized blacks and blues to paint multiple layers and express a feeling of rationality and clarity. The work reflects that after experiencing many ups and downs in his life, Baselitz's thoughts and awareness state, at long last, finally attained peace.

Price estimate:
HKD: 260,000 – 360,000
USD: 33,200 – 45,900

Auction Result:
HKD: --