About the Work
At first glance, this appears to be an abstract gestural composition in a reduced palette. It takes a second look to discover a gigantic black eagle, distorted almost beyond recognition. From 1969 onwards, Baselitz turned his motifs upside down, further depleting them of meaning. He chose subjects that were both commonplace and charged with significance, and as in the case of the eagle used them again and again. The repetition further devalues the import of the motif, which deteriorates to little more than an excuse to celebrate the act of painting.
About the Acquisition
The Frankfurter Verein für Künstlerhilfe e. V. is a foundation of the Lions Club Frankfurt-Main Metropolis. For more than 20 years, the association has been helping young artists to become independent and thus corresponds to Lions International's goal of supporting the social and cultural tasks of society. Nearly 200 artists have been sponsored and supported to date. As early as the 1920s, the first "Frankfurter Künstlerhilfe" with comparable goals was established.
