The American painter and sculptor Keith Haring, who died in 1990, was undisputedly one of the most popular artists in the 20th century. More than ten years after his death, his output is still as important to younger artists as it is to the wider public. Therefore it seems all the more essential to present a profile of the less well-known Haring - looking beyond the Haring of the ubiquitous, world-famous cheerful matchstick figures. From his earliest days as an artist, Haring engaged with the meaning of death, suffering and violence, with the importance of religion and the afterlife in our own lives. It is only against this background that Keith Haring's positive, life-affirming "icons" can be properly understood. The main focus of this publication is on paintings and drawings from the artist's estate - some never previously published - and the rarely seen large-format pictures and wall hangings on the theme of Heaven and Hell.(English edition available 3-7757-1082- 5)KEITH HARING (1958–1990) was an American graffiti artist and representative of Pop Art. His short career began in the early 1980s with "Subway Drawing" before he achieved an international breakthrough with his comic-like pictures. Until his early death, he exhibited in over 100 solo and group shows, including documenta 7 in Kassel.