Markus Lüpertz

Galerie Rudolf Springer, Berlin

Private Collection, Southern Germany (acquired from the above in 1970)

Galerie Thomas, Munich (by 1991)

Acquired in 2024 by the present owner

• Monumental work from a pivotal decade, capturing Lüpertz’s mature style at a key moment of transition in post-war German painting
• Strong visual impact through its deep, layered green palette and abstracted forest motif
• Emblematic of the era when Lüpertz, alongside Baselitz and Penck, redefined the language of German art

Markus Lüpertz is regarded as one of the most influential figures in post-war German painting. Emerging in the late 1960s, he developed a distinctive approach that challenged prevailing artistic conventions, favouring ambiguity, scale, and symbolic resonance over linear narrative or stylistic clarity. His work stands alongside that of Georg Baselitz, A.R. Penck, and Jörg Immendorff - artists who redefined the visual language of German art in the decades following World War II.

Executed in 1970, Laubdach (Canopy) is a striking example of Lüpertz’s early mature practice. Monumental in scale, the painting reveals the artist’s focus on rhythm, surface tension, and compositional structure. Rendered in deep, shifting shades of green, the canvas evokes the impression of a forest canopy, abstracted into layered form. The interplay of dark and light passages creates spatial complexity, while the restrained palette draws attention to the painting’s material presence.

“I have always seen myself as an abstract painter. That, to me, means a painter without responsibilities. I have no responsibility for the motifs. I am responsible for the genius of painting, for the speed, beauty, or aggressiveness of the painting.”

(Markus Lüpertz cited in: Dorothea Dietrich: A Conversation with Markus Lüpertz, in: The Print Collector’s Newsletter, Vol. 14, No. 1, New York 1983, p. 10)

The early 1970s marked a pivotal shift in German painting, as a younger generation of artists rejected both the austerity of post-war abstraction and the rising influence of pop. In its scale, palette and formal clarity, Laubdach reflects this turn toward a more psychologically charged and materially grounded image-making. Works from this period are increasingly recognised for their role in shaping the trajectory of Neo-Expressionism. Laubdach (Canopy) offers a compelling insight into this critical moment in Lüpertz’s development.