Neo Rauch – Hirt

Neo Rauch – Hirt

Neo Rauch’s Hirt is a striking light sculpture depicting a fantastical hybrid creature often seen in the artist’s paintings—a mutant deerdog with a human-like face and the body of a shaggy lion. This surreal figure recurs throughout Rauch’s visual universe, where it appears as both companion and symbol, alternately trained, beaten, and adored by human characters.

In this light-based edition, Rauch brings the creature into three-dimensional form, transforming it into a glowing object that radiates both wonder and unease. The work reflects the artist’s interest in the blurred lines between control and devotion, as well as the unsettling relationships between humans and their symbolic surrogates. Hirt was also realized as a monumental sculpture, measuring approximately 3.5 by 2.5 meters, further emphasizing the creature’s powerful, totemic presence.

Neo Rauch is one of the most influential contemporary artists to emerge from post-reunification Germany. Known for his distinctive fusion of Socialist Realism and Surrealism, Rauch creates artworks that are both enigmatic and deeply rooted in the cultural and political complexities of Eastern Europe. His paintings often depict dreamlike scenes populated by ambiguous figures and industrial landscapes, blending historical references with the absurd.

Rauch’s unique visual language has earned him international acclaim, with his work exhibited in leading institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tate Modern, and the Guggenheim Bilbao. While he is best known for his large-scale paintings, Neo Rauch has also produced a number of highly sought-after limited edition prints and sculptures. These editions retain the narrative depth and technical mastery of his original paintings, making his prints and sculptures valuable additions to any serious collection of contemporary art.

Collectors worldwide prize Neo Rauch’s limited edition artworks for their rarity and visual power. His prints, often created in collaboration with renowned printers, showcase his distinctive use of colour, composition, and figuration. Each edition reflects the same meticulous attention to detail that defines his larger works. His sculptures, though less common, expand his surreal universe into three-dimensional form, offering yet another layer to his rich artistic practice.

Whether encountered through original paintings, prints, or sculptures, Neo Rauch’s work continues to challenge and captivate. For collectors and institutions alike, his artworks represent a unique intersection of narrative, memory, and imagination, rendered in a visual style that is unmistakably his own. Explore our selection of Neo Rauch limited edition prints and sculptures now, and discover why his artworks remain central to the discourse of contemporary art.