Markus Lüpertz is a German Neo-Expressionist whose idiosyncratic paintings and sculptures seamlessly blend figuration and abstraction. Seeking to simplify forms while also magnifying details, the artist often employs close up views of heads and faces within the picture plane. “Whenever you paint something abstract the eye leads you to search for a figurative element, and vice versa,” he once reflected. Born on April 25, 1941 in Liberec, Czech Republic, his family moved to Rheydt, West Germany in 1948. He went on to study at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, graduating in 1961 and moving to Berlin a year later. While in Berlin, Lüpertz worked alongside other German artists, including Georg Baselitz, A.R. Penck, and Jö...