Rebel

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

The early works of Georg Baselitz in the portrait genre are characterized by proportional distortions and exaggerated forms of the human body. Among other images of archetypal figures such as a ploughman, warrior, and lumberjack, the rebel is depicted as wounded, ragged, and wry. His body is almost transparent, and the viewer with horror can observe his insides and bare muscles. The creation of this image was inspired by the artist’s childhood memories of the events of the Second World War, which he witnessed while living in Saxony.