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GERHARD RICHTER (b. 1932)

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Widely recognized as one of the most consequential artists of our time, Gerhard Richters career now rivals that of Picasso's in terms of productivity and genius. The multi-faceted subject matter, ranging from slightly out-of-focus photographic oil paintings to Kelly-esque grid paintings to his "squeegee" works, Richter never settles for repeating the same thought- but is constantly evolving his vision. Richter has been honored by significant retrospective exhibitions, including the pivotal 2002 show, "Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting," at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. <br> <br>"Abstraktes Bild 758-2" (1992) comes from a purely abstract period in Richter's work- where the message is conveyed using a truly physical painting style, where applied paint layers are distorted with a wooden "Squeegee" tool. Essentially, Richter is sculpting the layers of paint, revealing the underlayers and their unique color combinations; there is a degree of "art by chance". If the painting does not work, Richter will move on- a method pioneered by Jackson Pollock decades earlier. <br> <br>Richter is included in prominent museums and collections worldwide, including the Tate, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others. Widely recognized as one of the most consequential artists of our time, Gerhard Richters career now rivals that of Picasso's in terms of productivity and genius. The multi-faceted subject matter, ranging from slightly out-of-focus photographic oil paintings to Kelly-esque grid paintings to his "squeegee" works, Richter never settles for repeating the same thought- but is constantly evolving his vision. Richter has been honored by significant retrospective exhibitions, including the pivotal 2002 show, "Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting," at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. <br> <br>"Abstraktes Bild 758-2" (1992) comes from a purely abstract period in Richter's work- where the message is conveyed using a truly physical painting style, where applied paint layers are distorted with a wooden "Squeegee" tool. Essentially, Richter is sculpting the layers of paint, revealing the underlayers and their unique color combinations; there is a degree of "art by chance". If the painting does not work, Richter will move on- a method pioneered by Jackson Pollock decades earlier. <br> <br>Richter is included in prominent museums and collections worldwide, including the Tate, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others. Widely recognized as one of the most consequential artists of our time, Gerhard Richters career now rivals that of Picasso's in terms of productivity and genius. The multi-faceted subject matter, ranging from slightly out-of-focus photographic oil paintings to Kelly-esque grid paintings to his "squeegee" works, Richter never settles for repeating the same thought- but is constantly evolving his vision. Richter has been honored by significant retrospective exhibitions, including the pivotal 2002 show, "Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting," at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. <br> <br>"Abstraktes Bild 758-2" (1992) comes from a purely abstract period in Richter's work- where the message is conveyed using a truly physical painting style, where applied paint layers are distorted with a wooden "Squeegee" tool. Essentially, Richter is sculpting the layers of paint, revealing the underlayers and their unique color combinations; there is a degree of "art by chance". If the painting does not work, Richter will move on- a method pioneered by Jackson Pollock decades earlier. <br> <br>Richter is included in prominent museums and collections worldwide, including the Tate, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others. Widely recognized as one of the most consequential artists of our time, Gerhard Richters career now rivals that of Picasso's in terms of productivity and genius. The multi-faceted subject matter, ranging from slightly out-of-focus photographic oil paintings to Kelly-esque grid paintings to his "squeegee" works, Richter never settles for repeating the same thought- but is constantly evolving his vision. Richter has been honored by significant retrospective exhibitions, including the pivotal 2002 show, "Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting," at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. <br> <br>"Abstraktes Bild 758-2" (1992) comes from a purely abstract period in Richter's work- where the message is conveyed using a truly physical painting style, where applied paint layers are distorted with a wooden "Squeegee" tool. Essentially, Richter is sculpting the layers of paint, revealing the underlayers and their unique color combinations; there is a degree of "art by chance". If the painting does not work, Richter will move on- a method pioneered by Jackson Pollock decades earlier. <br> <br>Richter is included in prominent museums and collections worldwide, including the Tate, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others. Widely recognized as one of the most consequential artists of our time, Gerhard Richters career now rivals that of Picasso's in terms of productivity and genius. The multi-faceted subject matter, ranging from slightly out-of-focus photographic oil paintings to Kelly-esque grid paintings to his "squeegee" works, Richter never settles for repeating the same thought- but is constantly evolving his vision. Richter has been honored by significant retrospective exhibitions, including the pivotal 2002 show, "Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting," at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. <br> <br>"Abstraktes Bild 758-2" (1992) comes from a purely abstract period in Richter's work- where the message is conveyed using a truly physical painting style, where applied paint layers are distorted with a wooden "Squeegee" tool. Essentially, Richter is sculpting the layers of paint, revealing the underlayers and their unique color combinations; there is a degree of "art by chance". If the painting does not work, Richter will move on- a method pioneered by Jackson Pollock decades earlier. <br> <br>Richter is included in prominent museums and collections worldwide, including the Tate, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others. Widely recognized as one of the most consequential artists of our time, Gerhard Richters career now rivals that of Picasso's in terms of productivity and genius. The multi-faceted subject matter, ranging from slightly out-of-focus photographic oil paintings to Kelly-esque grid paintings to his "squeegee" works, Richter never settles for repeating the same thought- but is constantly evolving his vision. Richter has been honored by significant retrospective exhibitions, including the pivotal 2002 show, "Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting," at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. <br> <br>"Abstraktes Bild 758-2" (1992) comes from a purely abstract period in Richter's work- where the message is conveyed using a truly physical painting style, where applied paint layers are distorted with a wooden "Squeegee" tool. Essentially, Richter is sculpting the layers of paint, revealing the underlayers and their unique color combinations; there is a degree of "art by chance". If the painting does not work, Richter will move on- a method pioneered by Jackson Pollock decades earlier. <br> <br>Richter is included in prominent museums and collections worldwide, including the Tate, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others. Widely recognized as one of the most consequential artists of our time, Gerhard Richters career now rivals that of Picasso's in terms of productivity and genius. The multi-faceted subject matter, ranging from slightly out-of-focus photographic oil paintings to Kelly-esque grid paintings to his "squeegee" works, Richter never settles for repeating the same thought- but is constantly evolving his vision. Richter has been honored by significant retrospective exhibitions, including the pivotal 2002 show, "Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting," at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. <br> <br>"Abstraktes Bild 758-2" (1992) comes from a purely abstract period in Richter's work- where the message is conveyed using a truly physical painting style, where applied paint layers are distorted with a wooden "Squeegee" tool. Essentially, Richter is sculpting the layers of paint, revealing the underlayers and their unique color combinations; there is a degree of "art by chance". If the painting does not work, Richter will move on- a method pioneered by Jackson Pollock decades earlier. <br> <br>Richter is included in prominent museums and collections worldwide, including the Tate, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others. Widely recognized as one of the most consequential artists of our time, Gerhard Richters career now rivals that of Picasso's in terms of productivity and genius. The multi-faceted subject matter, ranging from slightly out-of-focus photographic oil paintings to Kelly-esque grid paintings to his "squeegee" works, Richter never settles for repeating the same thought- but is constantly evolving his vision. Richter has been honored by significant retrospective exhibitions, including the pivotal 2002 show, "Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting," at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. <br> <br>"Abstraktes Bild 758-2" (1992) comes from a purely abstract period in Richter's work- where the message is conveyed using a truly physical painting style, where applied paint layers are distorted with a wooden "Squeegee" tool. Essentially, Richter is sculpting the layers of paint, revealing the underlayers and their unique color combinations; there is a degree of "art by chance". If the painting does not work, Richter will move on- a method pioneered by Jackson Pollock decades earlier. <br> <br>Richter is included in prominent museums and collections worldwide, including the Tate, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others. Widely recognized as one of the most consequential artists of our time, Gerhard Richters career now rivals that of Picasso's in terms of productivity and genius. The multi-faceted subject matter, ranging from slightly out-of-focus photographic oil paintings to Kelly-esque grid paintings to his "squeegee" works, Richter never settles for repeating the same thought- but is constantly evolving his vision. Richter has been honored by significant retrospective exhibitions, including the pivotal 2002 show, "Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting," at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. <br> <br>"Abstraktes Bild 758-2" (1992) comes from a purely abstract period in Richter's work- where the message is conveyed using a truly physical painting style, where applied paint layers are distorted with a wooden "Squeegee" tool. Essentially, Richter is sculpting the layers of paint, revealing the underlayers and their unique color combinations; there is a degree of "art by chance". If the painting does not work, Richter will move on- a method pioneered by Jackson Pollock decades earlier. <br> <br>Richter is included in prominent museums and collections worldwide, including the Tate, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others. Widely recognized as one of the most consequential artists of our time, Gerhard Richters career now rivals that of Picasso's in terms of productivity and genius. The multi-faceted subject matter, ranging from slightly out-of-focus photographic oil paintings to Kelly-esque grid paintings to his "squeegee" works, Richter never settles for repeating the same thought- but is constantly evolving his vision. Richter has been honored by significant retrospective exhibitions, including the pivotal 2002 show, "Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting," at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. <br> <br>"Abstraktes Bild 758-2" (1992) comes from a purely abstract period in Richter's work- where the message is conveyed using a truly physical painting style, where applied paint layers are distorted with a wooden "Squeegee" tool. Essentially, Richter is sculpting the layers of paint, revealing the underlayers and their unique color combinations; there is a degree of "art by chance". If the painting does not work, Richter will move on- a method pioneered by Jackson Pollock decades earlier. <br> <br>Richter is included in prominent museums and collections worldwide, including the Tate, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others.
Abstraktes Bild 758-2199224 1/2 x 32 1/4 in.(62.23 x 81.92 cm) oil on canvas
Provenance
Galerie Fred Jahn, Munich
Galleri Faurschou, Copenhagen
Private Collection, Aachen
Private Collection, Essen
Phillips, New York, May 16, 2003
Private Collection, New York
Michelle Rosenfeld Gallery, New York
Exhibition
Gerhard Richter. Malerier, Galleri Faurschou, Copenhagen 1996
Gerhard Richter. Werke aus Aachener Sammlungen, Ehemalige Reichsabtei, Aachen-Kornelimünster 1999
 
Literature
Elger, D (2011), Gerhard Richter: Catalogue Raisonné, Hatje/Cantz. vol. IV, color ill. no. 758-2, p. 434
Buchloh,...More... B. H. D., Gidal, P., Pelzer, B., & Musée d'art moderne de la ville de Paris (1993), Gerhard Richter, Kunst-und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. vol. III, color ill. no. 758-2
Ehemalige Reichsabtei (1999), Gerhard Richter, Werke aus Aachener Sammlungen [cat.], Aachen-Kornelimünster. color ill. p. 59
Phillips (New York, May 16, 2003), Contemporary Art, Part II [auction cat.], lot 142, color ill. pP. 4
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“Gray is the color… the most important of all… absent of opinion, nothing, neither/nor.” -Gerhard Richter

History

Widely recognized as one of the most consequential artists of our time, Gerhard Richters career now rivals that of Picasso’s in terms of productivity and genius. The multi-faceted subject matter, ranging from slightly out-of-focus photographic oil paintings to Kelly-esque grid paintings to his “squeegee” works, Richter never settles for repeating the same thought but is constantly evolving his vision. Richter has been honored with significant retrospective exhibitions, including the pivotal 2002 show, “Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting,” at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Abstraktes Bild 758-2 (1992) comes from a purely abstract period in Richter’s work. Conveying his message using a truly physical painting style, Richter would distort his layered paint with a wooden “Squeegee” tool, thereby revealing the underlayers and their unique color combinations. In sculpting the paint as such, he involved a degree of “art by chance”. Richter would react to these gestures, continuing to add, smear, and subtract paint, creating a textural surface with a sense of space and movement.

Richter is included in prominent museums and collections worldwide, including the Tate, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others.

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“Now that we do not have priests and philosophers any more, artists are the most important people in the world.” -Gerhard Richter

MARKET INSIGHTS

  • Richter AMR 12.1977-6.2023
  • Gerhard Richter has a robust auction and sales history, with major works often exceeding thjeir pre-sale auction estimates.
  • There is a compound annual growth rate of 17.6% for Gerhard Richter.
  • Gerhard Richter is one of the most consequential artists of our time. Richter has had several retrospective exhibitions, and is one of the most sought after artists of the 20th/ 21st Centuries.

Top Results at Auction

“Abstraktes Bild” (1986), oil on canvas, 118 x 99 in. Sold at Sotheby’s London: 10 February 2015 for $46,353,000.
“Abstraktes Bild” (1986), oil on canvas, 118 x 99 in. Sold at Sotheby’s London: 10 February 2015 for $46,353,000.
“Domplatz, Mailand” (1968), oil on canvas, 108 x 114 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 14 May 2013 for $37,125,000.
“Domplatz, Mailand” (1968), oil on canvas, 108 x 114 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 14 May 2013 for $37,125,000.
“Abstraktes Bild” (1994), oil on canvas, 89 x 78 in. Sold at Christie’s New York: 10 May 2022 for $36,500,000.
“Abstraktes Bild” (1994), oil on canvas, 89 x 78 in. Sold at Christie’s New York: 10 May 2022 for $36,500,000.
“A B, Still” (1986), oil on canvas, 89 x 79 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 17 November 2016 for $36,500,000.
“A B, Still” (1986), oil on canvas, 89 x 79 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 17 November 2016 for $36,500,000.

Comparable Paintings Sold at Auction

“Rain (2)” (1988), oil on canvas, 26 1/2 x 36 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 09 November 2011 for $3,218,500.
“Rain (2)” (1988), oil on canvas, 26 1/2 x 36 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 09 November 2011 for $3,218,500.
  • Painted around the same time that Richter painted Abstraktes Bild 758-2
  • Similar color palette
  • Another horizontal abstract
  • Sold for nearly 4 times the estimate
“Abstraktes Bild” (1997), oil on canvas, 26 1/2 x 37 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 12 October 2012 for $3,126,908.
“Abstraktes Bild” (1997), oil on canvas, 26 1/2 x 37 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 12 October 2012 for $3,126,908.
  • Painted around the same time that Richter painted Abstraktes Bild 758-2
  • Comparable color palette
  • Another horizontal abstract, comparable scale
“Abstraktes Bild” (1988), oil on canvas, 28 1/2 x 40 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 15 November 2019 for $2,540,000.
“Abstraktes Bild” (1988), oil on canvas, 28 1/2 x 40 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 15 November 2019 for $2,540,000.
  • Painted around the same time that Richter painted Abstraktes Bild 758-2
  • Comparable color palette
  • Another horizontal abstract, comparable scale

Paintings in Museum Collections

"Ice (3)" (1989), oil on canvas, 80 x 64 in., The Art Institute, Chicago
“Ice (3)” (1989), oil on canvas, 80 x 64 in., The Art Institute, Chicago
"St John" (1988), oil on canvas, 79 x 102 in., The Tate, London
“St John” (1988), oil on canvas, 79 x 102 in., The Tate, London
“Abstraktes Bild” (1993), oil on canvas, 94 1/2 x 94 ½ in., The Seattle Art Museum, Seattle
“Abstraktes Bild” (1993), oil on canvas, 94 1/2 x 94 ½ in., The Seattle Art Museum, Seattle
“Abstraktes Bild (825-7)” (1995), oil on canvas, 16 x 14 in., The Museum of Fine Art, Boston
“Abstraktes Bild (825-7)” (1995), oil on canvas, 16 x 14 in., The Museum of Fine Art, Boston
“Good art in general aspires to something, as a good painting aspires to something, almost spiritual or holy.” -Gerhard Richter

Authentication

Published in Elger, D (2011), Gerhard Richter: Catalogue Raisonné, Hatje/Cantz. vol. IV, color ill. no. 758-2, p. 434

Richter 44573 CR

Additional Resources

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