Georg Baselitz
1938 - 2026
Ohne Titel (Schweinekopf). 1965.
Pen and India ink drawing.
On Fabriano paper (with the watermark "C.M. Fabriano"). 48.5 x 33 cm (19 x 12.9 in), the full sheet.
[KA].

• Wonderful early drawing by one of the most prominent representatives of contemporary German art.
• Created during his stay at the Villa Romana in Florence, which had a lasting influence on Baselitz's artistic expression.
• Baselitz's drawings constitute an independent body in his oeuvre, while their motifs resemble his paintings.
• In 2023, the Albertina in Vienna dedicated a comprehensive retrospective to Georg Baselitz.

PROVENANCE: Helmut and Margot Kraetz, Dreieich (acquired directly from the artist).
Ruth Miles Pite Collection, New York (acquired from the above in 1992, Sotheby's, New York).
Acquired by the present owner from the above.

LITERATURE: Sotheby's, New York, 6290th auction, Contemporary Art, Part II, May 7, 1992, lot 105.

The ink drawing “Schweinekopf” (Pig's Head), created in 1965 during his stay at the Villa Romana in Florence, is a fine example of Baselitz's early devotion to drawing and the result of his profound reflection and reaction to Mannerism and more generally, to Italian art. With its whimsical lines and the arresting and enigmatic figures, this drawing occupies a unique position within the artist's body of works on paper, reflecting the embryonic phase of Baselitz's unique figurative style. Georg Baselitz takes these motifs from an ancient book called “Physiologus of Smyrna,” which deals with Christianity, nature, and man. The “Physiologus” consists of 48 chapters describing plants, stones, and animals and interpreting them as allegories of Christian salvation. “What does an owl have to do with man, the history of man, or the spirit of man? And the donkey and the pig, and so on,” says Baselitz. All of these questions are discussed in the book. ”And I wanted to revisit this in a very intimate way, in relation to my program – where the eagle, the deer, the pig, the rabbit, the fish, etc. have been present from day one – and bring them together in this portfolio. (quoted from: Stefan Mekiska https://www.br.de/nachrichten/kultur/malelade-georg-baselitz-experimente-mit-kaltnadel-und-druck,ToWPQn8). These are animals that play a recurring role in the artist's work, such as the falling eagle and, of course, the pig's head. A motif that Baselitz had already used in a painting from 1963. In the present drawing, the artist successfully expresses his young, adventurous artistic vitality, a figurative style of drawing and painting characteristic of him at the time. [MvL]

In good condition. With a tiny brownish spot in the lower right.
For information concerning the condition, please view the high resolution image / backside image.