Georg Baselitz's Orange Eaters (Orangenesser) series, created in the early 1980s, is a notable example of his Neo-Expressionist approach, marked by vigorous brushwork and vibrant color palettes. This series, along with the "Drinkers" (Trinker) series, was prominently featured in his first gallery exhibition in the United States at the Xavier Fourcade Gallery in New York in 1981. The Orange Eaters series focuses on the seemingly mundane act of eating an orange, yet Baselitz transforms this simple subject into a dynamic exploration of form and color.

In these paintings, Baselitz employs a raw, almost aggressive style that emphasizes the tactile quality of his brushstrokes. The figures in the "Orange Eaters" series are depicted upside-down, a technique Baselitz had been using since 1969 to disrupt conventional visual interpretation and to focus attention on the painting's formal elements rather than its narrative content. This inversion serves to abstract the figures, making them simultaneously more immediate and enigmatic (Ropac) (Skarstedt).

Baselitz's use of color in the Orange Eaters series is particularly striking. He juxtaposes intense oranges with complementary blues and yellows, creating a vibrant, almost dissonant visual harmony. This bold use of color, combined with the thickly applied paint and expressive brushwork, gives the series a sense of immediacy and physical presence. The paintings are not just visual experiences but also convey a tactile quality, inviting viewers to engage with the materiality of the paint itself (Ropac) (Skarstedt).

The "Orange Eaters" series can be seen as part of Baselitz's broader effort to redefine figurative painting in the post-war period. By drawing on the legacy of German Expressionism and incorporating elements of folk art and art brut, Baselitz creates works that are both deeply personal and culturally resonant. The series reflects his ongoing dialogue with the past and his quest to forge a new artistic language that could address the complexities of contemporary life (Time Out Worldwide) (GalleriesNow).

The Orange Eaters series exemplifies Baselitz's innovative approach to painting, characterized by its bold formal experiments and emotional intensity. These works continue to be celebrated for their contribution to the evolution of modern art and their powerful visual impact.