Baselitz studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in East Berlin before moving to West Berlin in 1957. His early influences included outsider art, Mannerism, and Soviet nonconformist artists. He developed a style that rejected abstract art, favouring figurative painting. His "Pandemonium" manifestos, co-written with Eugen Schönebeck in the early 1960s, articulated an artistic vision that embraced the grotesque and the provocative, aiming to disrupt conventional aesthetics.

From 1969, Baselitz began painting his subjects upside down. This inversion became his most recognisable artistic device. He explained that by presenting figures in this way, he aimed to free the viewer from focusing on narrative content. Instead, the viewer would concentrate purely on the painting's formal qualities: its colour, form, and texture. This technique allowed him to explore the act of painting itself, rather than the subject matter.

Throughout his career, Baselitz has explored themes of German identity, history, and trauma, often working in series. He has worked across various media, including painting, sculpture, and printmaking. His work is held in major collections worldwide. He continues to live and work in Germany and Italy.