Pratiksha Shome
Painter Georg Baselitz described his current exhibition at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where he engages in a visual dialogue with artists like Lucas Cranach, Titian, Peter Paul Rubens, and the Mannerists (who painted at the court of Emperor Rudolph II, focusing on the nude figure), as “like wallpaper for the Old Masters.” Director general Sabine Haag made a statement stating that “the concept of the exhibition is also a new highlight in Georg Baselitz’s exhibition history.” He made the quick decision to directly compare his works to those of the Old Masters, particularly Mannerism. In the same rooms with the same visual axes, opposite, above, and below each other, frame by frame. The German painter interspersed 40 pieces from the museum with 73 of his own works over the last 50 years. It has loans from illustrious organisations including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Albertina in Vienna, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven.
Courtesy: Artnet news
According to a press statement from the curator, Andreas Zimmermann, “the paintings are about the nudity of the painter and his wife, Elke, who has remained his only model to this day. “They include the more recent images—up to four metres wide—that focus on physique and ageing, which are notable for their simultaneous monumentality and fragility. The artwork included in the exhibition is also evidence of the painter’s versatility; it includes finger paints, large-scale brushstrokes, light as a feather images, and most recently, collages. One of the fundamental structural concepts in an artist’s body of work is the element of surprise and the ongoing discovery of the painting process.
It is on view through June 25.
Source: Artnet news
