Meet the 33 Most Famous Paintings by ヨーゼフ・ボイス

Lightning with Stag in Its Glare

The Genesis of a Mythic Landscape Joseph Beuys's *Lightning with Stag in Its Glare* isn’t merely a sculpture; it’s an invocation, a primal scream rendered in bronze and imbued with the weight of history. Completed between 1958 and 1985, this monumental work emerged from a confluence of influences – Beuys's own turbulent past, his deep engagement with shamanic traditions, and a profound yearning to bridge the gap between individual experience…

Bathtub

Joseph Beuys's "Bathtub," created in 1977, isn't merely a photograph of an antique claw-foot tub; it’s a carefully orchestrated meditation on the cyclical nature of existence, the potential for renewal, and the inherent dignity within the commonplace. This seemingly simple image—a white bathtub resting on its metal frame against a muted grey backdrop—holds a profound depth that speaks to Beuys's core artistic philosophy: the belief that art could be a…

Halved Felt Cross with Dust Image "Magda"

In the evocative landscape of mid-century avant-garde art, few works command such a quiet, somber presence as Joseph Beuys’s Halved Felt Cross with Dust Image “Magda”. Created in 1965, this striking assemblage serves as a profound testament to the artist’s deep engagement with themes of loss, remembrance, and the ephemeral nature of existence. At its heart, the piece is a masterclass in the Neo-Dada movement, where the boundaries between traditional…

The silence of Marcel Duchamp is overrated

I Like America and America Likes Me

A master of compelling performance pieces, Beuys flew to New York, picked up by an ambulance, and swathed in felt, was transported to a room in the Rene Block Gallery. The room was also occupied by a wild coyote, and for a period of 8 hours a day for the next three days, Beuys spent his time with the coyote in the small room, with little more than a felt…

Fat chair

Fat chair

How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare

"One of the artist’s most famous performances, Beuys covered his head first with honey, and then with fifty dollars worth of gold leaf. He cradles a dead hare in his arms, and strapped an iron plate to the bottom of his right shoe. Viewed from behind glass in the gallery, the audience could see Beuys walking from drawing to drawing, quietly whispering in the dead rabbit’s ear. As he walked…

Attempt II

Fettecke