The leading artist of the 20th Century
Renowned for his thought-provoking approach.
b. 1932
Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richter, one of post-war Germany's most renowned artists, is celebrated for his prolific and diverse painting practice. His innovative approach merges photography with painting, creating figurative canvases that blend found images with abstract elements, often featuring photographic visual effects. Richter's work spans monumental scales, including notable pieces such as glass panels and stained glass windows. Layering and erasure play pivotal roles in his artistic process. Educated at the Kunstakademie in Dresden and Düsseldorf, Richter has exhibited globally at prestigious venues like the Museum Barberini, Serpentine Galleries, Museum of Modern Art, Art Institute of Chicago, and Tate Modern. His artworks command significant prices, often selling for tens of millions of dollars in the secondary market.
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About the artist
Gerhard Richter, the versatile German artist, defies categorisation with a diverse repertoire spanning abstraction, photorealism, glasswork, and photography. His expansive oeuvre includes iconic reproductions of mundane and historical photographs alongside monumental glass panels and church windows.
Born in Dresden in 1932, Richter's early life was profoundly shaped by war and its aftermath. Trained initially in the strict Socialist-Realist style, Richter eventually rebelled against these constraints, advocating instead for the demise of conventional painting.
Following the war, Richter pursued studies in mural painting at the Dresden Art Academy in East Germany from 1951. After a stint in Moscow, he defected to West Germany, where he supported himself by constructing carnival floats and painting theatre sets before enrolling at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, marking the start of his serious artistic journey.
Gerhard Richter's artistic journey took a pivotal turn with his first cataloged work, "Table" (1962), following a transformative event outside the Düsseldorf Art Academy. Disappointed by the reception of his initial exhibition in Fulda, Richter responded by burning most of his pre-existing paintings. This bold act marked a fresh start driven by renewed determination, although it obscured much of his early artistic development, which included explorations in both figurative and abstract styles.
Emerging from this creative reset, Richter began incorporating photographs from magazines and newspapers into his art, a practice that would define his future work. These early photo-inspired pieces quickly garnered attention, establishing Richter as a significant artist and paving the way for exhibitions across Germany in 1964 and 1965.
In 1959, Gerhard Richter encountered the works of Jackson Pollock and Lucio Fontana at Documenta II in Kassel, a pivotal experience that helped him confront the artistic censorship prevalent in East Germany, where only traditional, figurative art was sanctioned. Motivated to explore his preferred abstract style, Richter subsequently fled to West Germany to pursue artistic freedom.
Richter's formative education at the Düsseldorf Art Academy significantly shaped his artistic development. Immersed in a curriculum rich in the abstract expressionism of Art Informel and the pioneering, boundary-pushing Fluxus movement, Richter found inspiration in the work of John Cage. Cage, renowned for his experimental music and involvement with Fluxus, influenced Richter's approach to composition, blending structured planning with chance procedures to create his artworks.
Despite a recent leveling off in record prices, Gerhard Richter's prints, paintings, and photography remain consistently strong performers in both the primary and secondary art markets. Despite occasional fluctuations in market prices, Richter's status as a highly esteemed and influential artist of the 20th century ensures that his prints continue to command impressive prices at auction.
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