GEORG BASELITZ (B. 1938) Magentaaufgang 2005

GEORG BASELITZ (B. 1938) Magentaaufgang 2005 signed, titled and dated 17.V.05 on the reverse oil on canvas 250 by 200 cm. 98 7/16 by 78 3/4 in. Footnotes: Provenance Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg/Paris (GB 2083) Vonderbank Art Galleries, Berlin Private Collection, Europe Sale: Sotheby's, London, Contemporary Art Day Auction , 15 October 2007, Lot 314 Private Collection, Europe Acquired directly from the above by the present owner Exhibited Paris/Salzburg, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Georg Baselitz - Spaziergang ohne Stock , 2005, p. 25, illustrated in colour Berlin, Vonderbank Art Galleries, Georg Baselitz , 2006, p. 27, illustrated in colour Monumental in scale and breath-taking in its visual effect, Magentaaufgang from 2005 is an outstanding work by the celebrated contemporary German artist Georg Baselitz. Suspended upside down, a dense forest of majestic trees extends dramatically from the top of the canvas in the artist's instantly recognisable and expressive style. The towering trees stretch down the surface, creating a profound movement of verticality whilst a spark of bright magenta illuminates the ghostly white tree trunks against a stark black background. This assertive focus of pure colour immediately draws the viewer's gaze upwards to what would ordinarily be the sky, thus giving the name to the composition as auf gang possibly referring to a rising sun. From 1969 Baselitz explored a revolutionary technique of painting the subject matter upside down, thereby literally turning the viewer's comprehension of the subject on its head in a ground-breaking and unconventional way of seeing. Pushing the boundaries not only for the viewer but also for himself in terms of construction, the first work that Baselitz painted upside down was fittingly of a woodland landscape titled The Wood on Its Head from 1969 and is poetically revisited here in the present work. By inverting figures and landscapes, Baselitz is able to achieve a form of radical and innovative abstraction whilst oscillating the line of figuration in his own distinctive and lyrical language. Magentaaufgang was first exhibited at Baselitz's solo show Georg Baselitz Spaziergang Ohne Stock in 2005 at Thaddaeus Ropac. A central theme of this exhibition was the analysis and study of Edvard Munch (1863 – 1944) and his artistic methods. Renowned for his expressive compositions that discussed human angst, psychological disturbance and atmospheric landscapes, the famed Norwegian artist had a great influence on German expressionism, resonating strongly with artists such as Ludwig Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. After years of travelling abroad, Munch purchased an estate in Ekely near Oslo where he would spend most of his time from 1916 until his death in 1944. This period was incredibly productive but also rather revolutionary for Munch as it was here that he was inspired by the changing seasons of his garden and the imposing trees in the adjacent woods. This exposure to nature resulted in monumental pieces as he was able to explore larger formats due to open air studios unencumbered by the restrictions of a small studio, and an experimentation with a brighter colour palette that would saturate his compositions. The trees in Magentaaufgang and other works in this highly regarded series are inspired by Munch's time at Ekely. Yet it is not only the subject of nature that stirred Baselitz creatively; there is also an expression of freedom that he emulates from Munch's later liberal style and the air of haunting nostalgia that permeates Munch's body of work. When standing in front of this large canvas, one can imagine being engulfed by the trees in a moving sensory and atmospheric experience. Steeped in memory and rich with nostalgia, the present painting, like all of Baselitz's work, is a biographical vision and a personal memoir. As a young man, Baselitz applied to forestry school and this fascination and passion bleeds through the surface and calls to mind sentimental depictions of an enchanted forest, such as the German fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel. One of the most influential artists of our time, Georg Baselitz was a leading figure in shaping a new identity for art in Germany after the Second World War, as a response to the trauma and loss from the first half of the 20th Century. Drawing upon art history and his own extensive oeuvre Baselitz rejected abstraction in favour of more recognisable subject matter, embracing the European arm of Neo-Expressionism . With works residing in museums internationally, including Fondation Beyeler, Basel; Kunsthalle Hamburg, Hamburg; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; and the Tate Gallery, London to mention only a few, this represents an opportunity to acquire a work of exceptional quality by one of the most prominent and celebrated European artists of the modern era. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * AR TP * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium. TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please refer to the catalogue for further information. 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