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13 Famous Neo-expressionist Kunstenaars You Should Know

If you remember one Neo-expressionist kunstenaar, make it Jean Michel Basquiat (1960–1988), the name behind Untitled (ernok) en Untitled - Schedel, (Broad Collection, LA). After that come Anselm Kiefer, Cy Twombly, Julian Schnabel en Georg Baselitz. Our 13 picks go from Philip Guston (born 1913) to Chris Ofili (born 1968), from 5 countries.

Picked by the ArtsDot.com team

How we picked them. We list the artists our catalogue links to Neo-expressionist, from the most famous down. Artists born after 1955 that we cannot yet check on Wikidata are left out. The Wikipedia number shows in how many of our 32 languages Wikipedia writes about them.

  1. Untitled (ernok) door Jean Michel Basquiat1Jean Michel Basquiat
  2. Böhmen liegt am Meer (Bohemia Lies by the Sea) door Anselm Kiefer2Anselm Kiefer
  3. Cold Stream door Cy Twombly3Cy Twombly

Quick facts

Neo-expressionist in a nutshell

  • 13Kunstenaars
  • 1913–1968Geboortejaren
  • 5Landen van geboorte
  • 1Vrouwen
  • 5Levende kunstenaars
  • 545Werken in onze catalogus
Steden met de meeste geboorten
Park Slope (1), Donaueschingen (1), Lexington (1), Brooklyn (1)
Musea met de meeste sleutelwerken
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (2), Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (2), Tate Britain (1), Kunsthaus Zürich (1)
De vrouwen in deze lijst
Jennifer Bartlett

Meet them one by one

The 13 famous Neo-expressionist artiesten, from most famous down

1of 13

Jean Michel Basquiat 1960–1988

Amerikaans From Park Slope Neo-Expressionisme On Wikipedia in 29 of 32 languages

Jean Michel Basquiat

Born on December 22, 1960, in Brooklyn, New York, to a Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother, his upbringing was a vibrant tapestry woven with diverse cultures and languages—Spanish, English, and French filled his childhood home. This multilingual environment, coupled with his mother’s dedication to artistic pursuits—she enrolled him as a Junior Member of the Brooklyn Museum at age six—laid an early foundation for his creative journey.

Works to know · Their 100 best-known works

2of 13

Anselm Kiefer geboren in 1945

Duits From Donaueschingen Neo-expressionisme On Wikipedia in 23 of 32 languages

Anselm Kiefer

Anselm Kiefer staat te boek als een van de meest diepzinnige en kenmerkende stemmen binnen het Neo-expressionisme, een artistieke stroming die aan het eind van de jaren zeventig en het begin van de jaren tachtig opkwam als een krachtige reactie op de soberheid van het minimalisme en de conceptuele kunst. Geboren in 1945 in Donaueschingen, Duitsland, is het bestaan van Kiefer onlosmakelijk verbonden met de nasleep van de Tweede Werelwt.

Works to know · Their 100 best-known works

3of 13

Cy Twombly 1928–2011

Amerikaans From Lexington Abstract Expressionisme On Wikipedia in 21 of 32 languages

Cy Twombly

Vroege studies onder Pierre Daura aan Washington and Lee University werden gevolgd door invloedrijke ervaringen op het Arts Students League of New York en Black Mountain College, waar hij in contact kwam met belangrijke figuren zoals Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage en Merce Cunningham.

Works to know · Their 100 best-known works

5of 13

Georg Baselitz 1938–2026

Duits From Deutschbaselitz Neo-expressionisme On Wikipedia in 26 of 32 languages

Georg Baselitz

Geboren als Hans-Georg Bruno Kern op 23 januari 1938 in het kleine Duitse dorpje Deutschbaselitz, was de kunstenaar die de wereld zou leren kennen als Georg Baselitz een kind van diepgaande transitie en ontwrichting.

Works to know · Their 100 best-known works

6of 13

Philip Guston 1913–1980

Canadees-Amerikaans From Montréal ['Abstract Expressionisme', 'Neo-Expressionisme'] On Wikipedia in 15 of 32 languages

Philip Guston

Philip Guston, geboren als Phillip Goldstein in Montreal en overleden in Woodstock, New York, was een kunstenaar van ongekende complexiteit en invloed. Guston’s jeugd werd getekend door een diepe tragedie: de zelfdoding van zijn vader in 1923. Al vroeg toonde hij aanleg voor kunst, eerst door het nadoen van stripfiguren uit kranten, later onder de begeleiding van Frederick John de St.

Works to know · Their 100 best-known works

7of 13

Chris Ofili geboren in 1968

British From Manchester Punk art On Wikipedia in 10 of 32 languages

Chris Ofili

Born in Manchester, United Kingdom, Chris Ofili emerged as a transformative force within the contemporary art landscape, weaving together disparate threads of culture, religion, and materiality. The artist's early development was shaped by his education at the Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art, periods during which he began to refine a technique characterized by intense layering and textural complexity.

Works to know · Their 100 best-known works

9of 13

Rainer Fetting geboren in 1949

Duits From Wilhelmshaven Neo-expressionisme On Wikipedia in 6 of 32 languages

Rainer Fetting

Rainer Fetting, geboren in 1949 in Wilhelmshaven, Duitsland, is een spilfiguur in de heropleving van de figuratieve schilderkunst tijdens de late 20e eeuw. Toen hij begin jaren 70 naar Berlijn verhuisde, schreef Fetting zich in aan de Hochschule der Künste (Academie voor Schone Kunsten), waar hij studeerde onder professor Hans Jaenisch.

Works to know · Their 100 best-known works

10of 13

Richard Spare

British Printmaking, Oil painting

Richard Spare

Richard John Spare, born in Chelmsford in 1951, embarked on a journey that would establish him as a pivotal figure in British printmaking and a celebrated artist in his own right. Following college, Spare's apprenticeship with Thomas Ross & Son proved invaluable.

Works to know · Their 100 best-known works

11of 13

Anthony Sims

American Neo-expressionism, Glitch art

Anthony Sims

Anthony Sims, born in Southaven, Mississippi in 1998, is a contemporary artist whose work embodies a fascinating tension—a collision between raw emotional expression and meticulous technical skill. His early work demonstrated a “raw and primitive” quality, as noted by the Pinch Journal in 2018, but this rawness was always tempered by a clear sense of control and composition.

Works to know · Their 100 best-known works

12of 13

Thiago Boecan

Brazilian ['Neo-Figurative Art', 'Abstract Art']

Thiago Boecan

Thiago Morales Boemeke, known as Thiago Boecan, is a rising figure in the Brazilian contemporary art scene, captivating audiences with his exploration of emptiness and the human form. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1995, Boecan’s artistic journey began with a formal education at Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado, followed by a degree in Graphic Design from Centro Universitário Belas Artes de São Paulo.

Works to know · Their 100 best-known works

13of 13

Jennifer Bartlett 1941–2022

American From Long Beach Conceptual Art & Neo-Expressionism On Wikipedia in 4 of 32 languages

Jennifer Bartlett

Born Jennifer Losch in 1941 in the coastal environs of Long Beach, California, her early life was steeped in a unique duality of influences. Bartlett’s intellectual journey took her from the experimental atmosphere of Mills College in Oakland to the rigorous halls of the Yale School of Art and Architecture.

Works to know · Their 100 best-known works

Pictures worth knowing

Famous Neo-expressionist works to recognise

  1. Untitled (ernok) door Jean Michel Basquiat

    Untitled (ernok)

    Jean Michel Basquiat

  2. Böhmen liegt am Meer (Bohemia Lies by the Sea) door Anselm Kiefer

    Böhmen liegt am Meer (Bohemia Lies by the Sea)

    Anselm Kiefer

    1996

  3. Cold Stream door Cy Twombly

    Cold Stream

    Cy Twombly

    1966

  4. Ornamental Despair door Julian Schnabel

    Ornamental Despair

    Julian Schnabel

  5. Der hirte door Georg Baselitz

    Der hirte

    Georg Baselitz

  6. To Fellini door Philip Guston

    To Fellini

    Philip Guston

    1958

  7. The Holy Virgin Mary door Chris Ofili

    The Holy Virgin Mary

    Chris Ofili

    1996 · MoMA - Museum of Modern Art, New York City

  8. Puffin Pair door Richard John Spare

    Puffin Pair

    Richard John Spare

    2010

When it happened

Neo-expressionist, step by step

  1. 1958
    To Fellini door Philip Guston
    To FelliniPhilip Guston
  2. 1966
    Cold Stream door Cy Twombly
    Cold StreamCy Twombly
  3. 1983
    Selbst mit Palette door Rainer Fetting
    Selbst mit PaletteRainer Fetting
  4. 1991
    One A.M door Jennifer Bartlett
    One A.MJennifer Bartlett
  5. 1996
    Böhmen liegt am Meer (Bohemia Lies by the Sea) door Anselm Kiefer
    Böhmen liegt am Meer (Bohemia Lies by the Sea)Anselm Kiefer
  6. 1996
    The Holy Virgin Mary door Chris Ofili
    The Holy Virgin MaryChris Ofili
  7. 2010
    Puffin Pair door Richard John Spare
    Puffin PairRichard John Spare

Fun figures

The numbers behind the list

Geboorteland
Verenigde Staten3
Duitsland3
United Kingdom2
Verenigde Staten en Gebouwen1
Canada1
Geboorte decennium
1910s1
1920s1
1930s1
1940s3
1950s2
1960s2
Musea met hun belangrijkste werken
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum2
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao2
Tate Britain1
Kunsthaus Zürich1
Smithsonian American Art Museum1
Tate Modern1
MoMA - Museum of Modern Art1
Dortmunder U1

Just the names

List of 13 famous Neo-expressionist artiesten to know

  1. 1Jean Michel BasquiatJean Michel BasquiatAmerikaans · 1960–1988
  2. 2Anselm KieferAnselm KieferDuits · geboren in 1945
  3. 3Cy TwomblyCy TwomblyAmerikaans · 1928–2011
  4. 4Julian SchnabelJulian SchnabelAmerikaans · geboren in 1951
  5. 5Georg BaselitzGeorg BaselitzDuits · 1938–2026
  6. 6Philip GustonPhilip GustonCanadees-Amerikaans · 1913–1980
  7. 7Chris OfiliChris OfiliBritish · geboren in 1968
  8. 8Richard John SpareRichard John Sparegeboren in 1951
  9. 9Rainer FettingRainer FettingDuits · geboren in 1949
  10. 10Richard SpareRichard SpareBritish ·
  11. 11Anthony SimsAnthony SimsAmerican ·
  12. 12Thiago BoecanThiago BoecanBrazilian ·
  13. 13Jennifer BartlettJennifer BartlettAmerican · 1941–2022

Good questions

What people ask about Neo-expressionist

  • Who is the most famous Neo-expressionist kunstenaar?

    Jean Michel Basquiat (#1) is first in this ranking, followed by Anselm Kiefer (#2) and Cy Twombly (#3).

  • Who are the 5 most famous Neo-expressionist artiesten?

    Jean Michel Basquiat (#1), Anselm Kiefer (#2), Cy Twombly (#3), Julian Schnabel (#4) en Georg Baselitz (#5).

  • Who was the first Neo-expressionist kunstenaar?

    The earliest-born kunstenaar in this list is Philip Guston (#6), born in 1913.

  • Which women Neo-expressionist artiesten are the most famous?

    1 women are in this ranking: Jennifer Bartlett (#13).

  • When were most Neo-expressionist artiesten born?

    Most artiesten in this list were born in the 1940s (3 of 13), between 1913 and 1968 overall.

  • Who are the most famous living Neo-expressionist artiesten?

    The highest-ranked living artiesten in this list are Anselm Kiefer (#2), Julian Schnabel (#4), Chris Ofili (#7), Richard John Spare (#8) en Rainer Fetting (#9).

  • What techniques did Neo-expressionist artiesten use?

    “De techniek van Kiefer kenmerkt zich door een intense, dikke impasto-laag.” — from our biography of Anselm Kiefer (#2).

  • Where are the great works of Neo-expressionist art today?

    The museums holding the most key works of this list are Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (2), Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (2) en Tate Britain (1).

  • Which country produced the most Neo-expressionist artiesten?

    Verenigde Staten: 3 of the 13 artiesten in this list were born there, then Duitsland (3) en United Kingdom (2).

  • Can I order a painting by a famous Neo-expressionist kunstenaar?

    Our catalogue holds 545 works by these artiesten.

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