Georg Baselitz

Galerie Michael Werner, Cologne
Private Collection (acquired directly from the above in 1988)
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 2005

Bremen, Kunsthalle, Georg Baselitz: Die Motivbilder, 1988
Leverkusen, Städtisches Museum Schloss Morsbroich, Blumenstück-Künstlers Glück, pp. 98-99, illustrated

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is brighter and more vibrant in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. On close examination there are a few extremely fine isolated drying cracks to the white impasto, predominantly in the lower part of the composition and a further tiny spot of stable cracking to the yellow pigment adjacent to the centre of the right edge. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultra-violet light.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"Before I started to invert the motif, I painted pictures which anticipated certain elements in this kind of painting, although they were less blatant and obvious. In these earlier pictures, the figurative motifs were fragmented and eventually allowed to wander at will around the canvas. If you stop fabricating motifs but still want to carry on painting, then inverting the motif is the obvious thing to do. The hierarchy which has the sky at the top and the earth at the bottom is, in any case, only a convention. We have got used to it, but we don't have to believe in it. ... What I wanted was quite simply to find a way of making pictures, perhaps with a new sense of detachment. That's all." (George Baselitz, cited in: 'Interview with Walter Grasskamp', 1984)