Gerhard Richter

Galleria Mario Pieroni, Rome
Private Collection, Zurich
Galerie Lohl, Mönchengladbach
Galerie Springer & Winckler, Berlin
Henning Lohner, Los Angeles/Berlin
Private Collection, Vancouver
Sale: Sotheby’s, London, Contemporary Art, 22 June  2007, Lot 248
Acquired directly from the above by the late owner

Angelika Thill et al., Gerhard Richter: A Catalogue Raisonné: 1962-1993, Vol. III, Osternfildern-Ruit 1993, pp. 137 and 194, no. 763-7, illustrated in colour

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate. Condition: This work is in very good condition. Extremely close inspection reveals evidence of light wear to the left two corner tips. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultraviolet light.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Dramatically composed of strongly contrasting layers of paint, Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild is a spectacular work from the artist’s celebrated oeuvre. Mysteriously dark in appearance yet full of explosive layers of colour, the painting is an outstanding example of the acclaimed body of work that the artist made leading up to his prestigious exhibition at the Documenta 9 in 1992.

Characterised by the increasing presence of formal structure, Richter’s paintings of this year show a fascinating interplay between chance and control. Underneath strong compositional devices, such as the dominant horizontal swipes of the squeegee in the present work, lyrical combustions of colour emerge. Richter’s inventive and physical approach to painting, in which photo-realist works are often transformed into abstract images, is perfectly embodied in the present work. Simultaneously creating a layered surface and obscuring what lies behind it, the masterful handling of paint makes Abstraktes Bild an engaging example of the artist’s central concerns of that year. As Richter remarked in one of his personal notes from 1992: “For about a year now, I have been unable to do anything in my painting but scrape off, pile on, and then remove again. In this process I don’t actually reveal what was beneath. If I wanted to do that, I would have to think what to reveal (figurative pictures or signs or patterns); that is, pictures that might as well be produced direct. It would also be something of a symbolic trick: bringing to the light the lost, buried pictures, or something to that effect” (Gerhard Richter quoted in: Dietmar Elger and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Eds., Gerhard Richter: Text, Cologne 2009, p. 278).

With it’s multi-layered and textured surface, Abstraktes Bild is a impenetrable yet appealing work. The strong orange and red undertones infuse the painting with a powerful and irresistible allure, as if a fire hides behind the majestic sweeps of Richter’s squeegee. Obscured by a mysteriously dark layer of paint, the dramatic explosions of colour create a captivating and lasting impression. Not only is the painting therefore a pivotal work from one of the artist’s most significant years, culminating with his exhibition at the Documenta, but a forceful and alluring painting that stands as a powerful testament to Gerhard Richter’s influential career.