Georg Baselitz Zimmer mit Dusche, 2021

Georg Baselitz’s Zimmer mit Dusche (2021) forms part of a new series comprising portraits of his wife Elke, whose image has occupied a prominent position in the development of his practice for over 50 years. Created in his new studio in Austria, this work shows Elke enthroned on a stage-like construction against a mysterious dark background. The purple figure stands out, pastose and multipartite, evoking existentialist connotations through her solitary suspension in the undefined space. The artist intensifies the intimacy and sensuousness of the motif in the heightened abstraction he achieves through his technique. The works were created through the transfer of colour, which introduces an element of chance into his compositions and offers a reflection on the meaning of painting itself.