Markus Lupertz

This volume was published in 1997 by the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam to accompany a major exhibition dedicated to the work of Markus Lüpertz, one of Germany's most prominent post-war Neo-Expressionist painters. Lüpertz, known for his 'dithyrambic' style and his later, more sculptural engagement with mythology and history, has long been a polarizing and influential figure in the contemporary art world. The catalog was intended to provide a comprehensive survey of his practice during a period when the museum was actively contextualizing his complex, often provocative explorations of German identity and classical motifs.

The design of the catalog reflects the austere yet substantial aesthetic often favored by European institutional publications of the late nineties. It serves as a primary reference for those studying Lüpertz’s evolution through the nineties, documenting how the museum sought to frame his transition from abstract expression to more figurative, bronze-cast-inspired canvases. As a retrospective publication, it provides critical insights into the artist’s self-conception and the deliberate, often heavy-handed symbolism he employed to challenge the viewer's perception of historical trauma and artistic legacy.