the collector's folio

Anselm Kiefer Most Popular Paintings

The 25 artworks by Anselm Kiefer our visitors look at most, ranked by popularity and presented one by one.

Edition 2026 · 25 artworks Each artwork painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide Anselm Kiefer · born 1945

Athanor by Anselm Kiefer

1984 · Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo · original 3800 x 2250 cm

An eerie, monumental hallway of arched doorways unfolds in Anselm Kiefer's Athanor, a powerful Neo-Expressionist masterpiece from 1984 that invites you to explore its profound historical depth and texture.

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #1: Athanor

Art Movement: Neo-Expressionism
Color Palette: Earthy

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 1 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17741 × 24 cm Commission this artwork

Anselm Kiefer: For Robert Fludd

1996 · Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Bilbao · original 105 x 82 cm

Anselm Kiefer’s "For Robert Fludd" presents a monumental sunflower rendered in textured monochrome, embodying Neo-Expressionism's raw exploration of history and symbolism. Discover this captivating artwork and its layered textures – perfect for collectors seeking impactful art.

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #2: For Robert Fludd

Art Movement: Neo-Expressionism
Color Palette: Neutrals

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 2 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17728 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$40182 × 105 cm Commission at original size

The Fertile Crescent (2009) by Anselm Kiefer

2009 · Albertina Klosterneuburg, Klosterneuburg · original 762 x 330 cm

A monumental mixed media exploration of architecture and life, The Fertile Crescent by Neo-Expressionist master Anselm Kiefer captures a profound atmosphere of movement and history, inviting you to explore this masterpiece.

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #3: The Fertile Crescent

Art Movement: Neo-Expressionism
Color Palette: Earthy

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 3 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17748 × 21 cm Commission this artwork

Glaube, Hoffnung, Liebe (1986) by Anselm Kiefer

1986 · Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney · original 280 x 380 cm

Explore Anselm Kiefer’s ‘Glaube, Hoffnung, Liebe.’ A monumental 1986 painting blending abstraction & sculpture. Dark tones, lead propeller, & Paul’s virtues – a visceral journey into German history.

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #4: Glaube, Hoffnung, Liebe

Art Movement: Abstract Expressionism
Color Palette: Earthy

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 4 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17737 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Only with Wind, Time, and Sound – Anselm Kiefer

1997 · Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Bilbao · original 473 x 944 cm

A monumental exploration of ancient structures through textured layers of rock and brick, this Kiefer masterpiece captures the profound essence of time and invites you to experience its historical depth.

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #5: Only with Wind, Time, and Sound

Color Palette: Neutrals

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 5 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17745 × 22 cm Commission this artwork

Seraphim

1984 · Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

Anselm Kiefer's Seraphim is a powerful Neo-Expressionist work of textured layers and spiritual depth. Explore this masterpiece today.

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #6: Seraphim

Color Palette: Earthy

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 6 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17731 × 33 cm Commission this artwork

Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Cedar Forest II (1981) by Anselm Kiefer

1981 · Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Bilbao · original 57 x 43 cm

Explore Anselm Kiefer’s "Gilgamesh & Enkidu." A monumental black & white print blending expressionism & woodcut, layered textures evoke mythic storytelling. Powerful art for collectors.

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #7: Gilgamesh and Enkidu in the Cedar Forest II

Art Movement: Expressionism
Color Palette: Neutrals

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 7 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$22043 × 57 cm Commission at original size

Untitled (210)

Color Palette: Earthy

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 8 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17731 × 32 cm Commission this artwork

Jerusalem, Anselm Kiefer

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #9: Jerusalem

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 9 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17739 × 26 cm Commission this artwork

Sternenfall

MAXXI National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome · original 530 x 456 cm

Color Palette: Neutrals

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 10 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17737 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Nero paints, (290 Kb)_ Oil on canvas, 220 x (1974) - (300) – Anselm Kiefer

Anselm Kiefer’s ‘Nero paints’ – a dark, expressionistic oil on canvas depicting devastation & conflict. Explore its impasto texture, symbolic red circle & haunting landscape.

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #11: Nero paints, (290 Kb)_ Oil on canvas, 220 x (1974) - (300)

Art Movement: Expressionism
Color Palette: Earthy

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 11 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17737 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Die meistersinger, (290 Kb)_ Oil, emulsion, a (1982)

Experience Anselm Kiefer’s monumental ‘Die Meistersinger.’ A visceral exploration of German history through ash, straw & powerful symbolism. Hand-painted reproduction available.

Art Movement: Neo-Expressionism
Color Palette: Earthy

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 12 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17737 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Reservoir (1971) by Anselm Kiefer

1971 · original 42 x 56 cm

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #13: Reservoir

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 13 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17736 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$21756 × 42 cm Commission at original size

Nuremberg, (320 Kb)_ Acrylic, emulsion, and stra (1982) by Anselm Kiefer

Anselm Kiefer’s ‘Nuremberg’ (1982) – a turbulent landscape of browns & ochres, rich impasto, and raw emotion. Explore German history & trauma through this powerful, expressive work.

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #14: Nuremberg, (320 Kb)_ Acrylic, emulsion, and stra (1982)

Art Movement: Contemporary Realism
Color Palette: Earthy

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 14 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17737 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Nigredo, (290 Kb)_ Oil, acrylic, emulsion, shell (1984) by Anselm Kiefer

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #15: Nigredo, (290 Kb)_ Oil, acrylic, emulsion, shell (1984)

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 15 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17741 × 24 cm Commission this artwork

The red sea, (240 Kb)_ Oil, emulsion, and she (1985)

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 16 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17739 × 25 cm Commission this artwork

Goldhair Margarete – Anselm Kiefer

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #17: Goldhair Margarete

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 17 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17736 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

March sand

Experience 'March Sand' by Anselm Kiefer – a monumental work exploring German history & trauma through ash & symbolism. Discover powerful art at our gallery.

Art Movement: Contemporary Realism
Color Palette: Earthy

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 18 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17740 × 25 cm Commission this artwork

Les Reines De France, Anselm Kiefer

1995 · Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

Experience Anselm Kiefer’s monumental ‘Les Reines de France.’ A visceral exploration of German history through ash & symbolism. Hand-painted reproduction available.

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #19: Les Reines De France

Art Movement: Neo-Expressionism
Color Palette: Neutrals

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 19 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$35237 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

March heath, (260 Kb)_ Oil, acrylic, and shellac (1974)

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 20 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17747 × 21 cm Commission this artwork

Anselm Kiefer: Grane

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #21: Grane

Color Palette: Neutrals

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 21 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17729 × 34 cm Commission this artwork

Big Iron Fist, Germany (1980)

1980 · original 84 x 59 cm

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #22: Big Iron Fist, Germany

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 22 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Same size as the original$29459 × 84 cm Commission at original size

Resurrexit, (200 Kb)_ Oil, acrylic, and charcoal (1973), Anselm Kiefer

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #23: Resurrexit, (200 Kb)_ Oil, acrylic, and charcoal (1973)

Color Palette: Neutrals

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 23 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17726 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

Ways of Worldly Wisdom Arminius's Battle by Anselm Kiefer

Explore Anselm Kiefer’s ‘Ways of Worldly Wisdom,’ a stark black & white lithograph depicting human anguish & conflict through fragmented faces and fiery imagery. Expressionist symbolism.

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #24: Ways of Worldly Wisdom Arminius's Battle

Art Movement: Expressionism
Color Palette: Earthy

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 24 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$50235 × 29 cm Commission this artwork

Böhmen liegt am Meer (Bohemia Lies by the Sea) (1996) by Anselm Kiefer

1996 · original 191 x 561 cm

Explore Anselm Kiefer’s ‘Böhmen liegt am Meer,’ a monumental abstract painting evoking history & longing. Textured impasto, blood-red poppies, & layered symbolism – a visceral experience.

View the most popular artwork of Anselm Kiefer ranked #25: Böhmen liegt am Meer (Bohemia Lies by the Sea)

Art Movement: Abstract Expressionism
Color Palette: Earthy

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 25 of 41 artworks by Anselm Kiefer
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17754 × 18 cm Commission this artwork

The artist

Anselm Kiefer

born 1945

Quick facts

Vibedramatic
Typical colorsneutrals, earthy
Creative periodsmature period
Topics exploredgerman history, symbolism, dark palette, trauma
Museums on APSArt Gallery of New South Wales, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Toledo Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Cleveland Museum of Art
Room fithotel lobby
Works on APS41
Mediumsmixed media

Biography

The Weight of Memory: The Art of Anselm Kiefer

Anselm Kiefer stands as one of the most profound and distinctive voices within Neo-Expressionism, an artistic movement that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a powerful reaction against the austerity of Minimalism and Conceptual Art. Born in Donaueschingen, Germany, in 1945, Kiefer’s very existence is inextricably linked to the aftermath of World War II. His oeuvre transcends mere representation; it is an immersive, visceral exploration of German history—particularly its profound trauma—expressed through monumental canvases and sculptures that demand a physical confrontation from the viewer. His artistic journey began with rigorous studies under Peter Dreher and Horst Antes at the Hochschule für Gestaltung Weinheim-Basel, where he established a foundation for his famously experimental approach to artmaking.

The soul of Kiefer’s work is deeply rooted in the literary shadows of the past, most notably through the haunting poetry of Paul Celan. The fragmented language and preoccupation with loss found in Celan's verse profoundly impacted Kiefer’s thematic concerns, specifically regarding the Holocaust and its lingering, often silent, effects on German collective memory. Through his art, Kiefer seeks to give form to this silence, exploring themes of absence, destruction, and the heavy burden of historical legacy. His work does not merely depict history; it attempts to excavate it from the layers of time and debris.

Materiality and the Alchemy of Destruction

What truly distinguishes Kiefer from his contemporaries is his deliberate and masterful use of materials that carry immense symbolic weight. He treats the canvas not as a flat surface, but as a site of geological and historical transformation. By incorporating unconventional elements such as ash, straw, clay, lead, and shellac, he creates works that feel less like paintings and much more like artifacts recovered from a scorched earth. Each material serves a narrative purpose:

Ash: Derived from burned forests, ash acts as a poignant reminder of ecological devastation and the literal and metaphorical destruction wrought by war.
Straw: This element introduces a sense of fragility, representing the vulnerability of human life against the overwhelming forces of nature and history.
Lead: A heavy, somber medium that provides a sense of permanence and the crushing weight of the past.

Kiefer’s technique is characterized by an intense, thick impasto layering. He applies paint in multiple, dense coats to create textured surfaces that resemble scorched earth or ancient geological formations. This tactile approach is not merely decorative; it actively engages the viewer, forcing them to confront the sheer physicality of his process. The scale of his canvases often mirrors the monumental scale of the historical events he addresses, creating an environment where the viewer is swallowed by the texture and gravity of the work.

Legacy and Historical Significance

As his career progressed, Kiefer’s international recognition grew through works that challenged the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and installation. His ability to weave together myth, alchemy, and historical catastrophe has secured his place as a titan of contemporary art. Whether he is depicting the brooding shadows of Roman emperors or the desolate landscapes of post-war Europe, his work remains a continuous dialogue with the concept of time itself. Through his mastery of texture and symbolism, Anselm Kiefer has created a visual language capable of articulating the most difficult aspects of human history, ensuring that the scars of the past are never truly erased, but rather transformed into profound works of enduring significance.

Questions & Answers

Where can I see Anselm Kiefer's artworks in chronological order?

Anselm Kiefer's artworks can be seen in chronological order on the artist's Artwork Timeline page.

How do I find all works by Anselm Kiefer in a given medium?

To find all works by Anselm Kiefer in a given medium, use the artist's All Medium page.

Can I browse Anselm Kiefer's works by mood?

The artist's Mood Room page shows Anselm Kiefer's artworks arranged by their atmosphere.

By the WikiOO.org Editorial Team Updated Sept. 2, 2026

Collector's quiz

What influential poet deeply impacted Anselm Kiefer’s artistic themes and explorations of German history?
Where did Anselm Kiefer spend most of his creative life after relocating to France?
What materials are commonly incorporated into Anselm Kiefer’s artworks, reflecting a deliberate connection with traditional crafts and techniques?
What is a defining characteristic of Anselm Kiefer’s artistic approach – his willingness to confront?
Anselm Kiefer studied with which two prominent German artists who influenced his artistic development?

one You choose the size

Standard formats or any custom dimension, matched to the proportions of the original.

two We paint and send a preview

A photo of the finished canvas for your approval before it is shipped.

three Delivered, certified

Rolled, stretched or framed, insured, with a certificate of authenticity.

Commission your Anselm Kiefer

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All artworks by Anselm Kiefer