HORST ANTES German, b. 1936

Horst Antes (*1936, Heppenheim, Germany) is regarded as one of the defining figures of post-war German art. Since the early 1960s, he has developed the “Head-Footer” (Kopffüßler), an iconic pictorial figure that resists singular interpretation and has come to embody existential, anthropological, and mythological concerns. Throughout his oeuvre, Antes combines elements of figuration with a highly distinctive visual language that moves between archaic symbolism, formal reduction, and psychological intensity. In addition to painting, his practice encompasses drawing, printmaking, and sculpture, each reflecting his sustained engagement with the human figure. His works are held in major international museum and private collections, including the Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York. Through his work, Antes made a significant contribution to the renewal of figurative art in Germany from the 1960s onwards.