Adieu

Mediums: oil, canvas.
Location: The Tate Modern Gallery, London (the UK).

The work is a group portrait, in which people are depicted in the manner traditional for Baselitz – upside down. Certain relations develop between the two characters in the work: one of the heroes intends to leave, while the second one is still not ready for parting. The artist worked on the painting for several weeks, and remade it several times since he could not choose the optimal distance between the diverging figures. As for the chess background of the work, the author was inspired by the flags that he saw during the Grand Prix race shortly before creating the picture.