Painting with fingers (Eagle)

Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich (Germany).

This work, the code name of which is “Eagle”, is one of several paintings by the artist that he created with his fingers and palms, without traditional brushes. This proud bird often appears in works of Baselitz – it was present even in his student creations and is found in his later “remix works”. In the painting that he created in 1972, we see a rather realistically painted bird, the figure of which is placed upside down in the composition. Since the eagle is a common symbol of power and authority, such a position in the picture causes uneasiness and doubt in the strength and power of the German state.