Flogging the Dead Donkey (2020) was the first work in a German public collection to be acquired by the Gesellschaft für Moderne Kunst for the Museum Ludwig. The complexity of the surface textures and the intensity of the reds, as well as the subtle flashes of other colors and remnants of gold pigment, show that Bowling’s works are unique in the history of abstract painting. This late work, which exemplifies Bowling’s ongoing preoccupation with color and geometry, gives life to his maxim that “the possibilities of color are infinite.” According to Bowling, the title of the work “Flogging the Dead Donkey” is a mocking statement by the artist about monochrome painting, which has been reworked over and over again, as if one were flogging a dead donkey, and thus ironically emphasizes his critical attitude towards art.