My Yellow Period II (Meine gelbe Periode II)

Exhibition label: The title of this self-portrait alludes to the blue and rose periods of Pablo Picasso, an artist who has remained a touchstone for Baselitz throughout his career. Asked about the row of stags in the upper part of the composition, Baselitz explained, "These things all come from folk art, from my homeland in Saxony, mostly from reverse glass painting. There are doves, deer, or hares on them, without me knowing how to interpret these symbols. I simply appropriated them from books about reverse glass painting."