Though the 19th-century notion of the artist as genius is now often regarded as a myth, Rudolf Schmitz’s catalogue essay assures us that it is precisely Jörg Immendorff’s recognition of the complicity between himself and his genius that has led to his “clear-sighted self-portrait.”

In Solo, 1990, Immendorff sits in a chair; on the table in front of him, we see a champagne bucket containing two bottles, a half-empty glass, a pack of cigarettes, and a full ashtray. He props his head on one hand, his other hand holds a cigarette. Outside, in the background of the painting, the ignorant, seemingly