Gerhard Richter

Marian Goodman Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 1989

Angelika Thill, et. al., Gerhard Richter: Catalogue Raisonné, Volume III, Osterfildern-Ruit, 1993, no. 679-1, p. 185, illustrated in color

This work is in very good condition overall. There is a small area of minor stable craquelure along the top edge 5 inches from the right corner. Otherwise, there are no apparent condition problems with this work. There is no apparent restoration visible under UV 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The consummate Post-Modern painter, Gerhard Richter's ceaseless technical exploration in the field of abstraction attests to the painterly and intellectual elasticity unique to his work.  In the 1980s Richter made his boldest breakthroughs in abstraction, in which he questions the entire theory and practice of painting in the contemporary age.  Here in the present work, Richter's mastery over medium is keenly felt in the beauty and simplicity of pure and unadulterated color.  In the extraordinary interplay of brilliant explosions of fizzing color with dynamic sequences Richter sought to expand the painterly realm by embracing Process.

Throughout his entire oeuvre - the black and white Photopaintings of the early 60s; the Color Charts of the 60s and 70s; the Abstract Paintings; the Grey Paintings and his return to the Photopaintings in color in the 1980s - Richter began to excavate the history of the medium and became an extraordinary technician in all areas.  These seemingly disparate series are tied together by an academic exploration and concern with the boundaries of the canvas and the limits of paint.  Richter's desire to produce canvases "effortless in appearance" drives him to eke out every possibility from the medium.  Using a wide array of tools and methods of paint application, Richter's Abstract Paintings have an elastic quality to them, both physically and intellectually.  Physically because of the way Richter seems to stretch paint around the canvas with his full arsenal of tools; intellectually, because the paintings are not grounded to any narrative, but rather are free to fuel the imagination of the viewer.  A thoroughly Post Modern discourse is thus proposed by Richter's entire body of work centered on the artist's process and procedure and how the mechanics of painting affect the dynamics and structure of composition.

Eschewing the formal language of figuration, narrative and gesture, Richter's Abstract Paintings deconstruct the tradition and notion of painting per se.  Space and dimension (both its presence and its absence) are thus read through the simple language of color juxtaposition leading to a canvas that speaks of nothing other than pure process.  Dense layers of brilliant colors push and pull build up to a vibrant crescendo.  In the present work, the blazing yellows are regularly interrupted with fiery reds and a rich green - each color at times receding and then jumping forth, adding an incredible sense of depth and mystery to the deconstructed canvas.  Richter arms himself with a small arsenal of utensils with which he applies and coaxes the paint to life.  Thicker areas of impasto are achieved with a palette knife or other hard edged device; under layers are begun with wet and dry brushes at times using a large brush standing at a distance from the canvas; and finally the built up layers are run down and through with the giant squeegee board: a device that allows Richter an endless variety of chance encounters, lending a modicum of freedom for the medium to see what effects it can create.  For as Richter stated: "if I paint an abstract picture... I neither know in advance what it is supposed to look like nor where I intend to go when I am painting, what could be done, to what end." (Exh. Cat., London, Tate Gallery, Gerhard Richter, 1991, p. 116)

The present work is a stunning example of Richter's unique capability and great subtlety with the medium of paint.  The canvas possesses an ethereal quality, an elusive atmospheric presence that immediately captures the viewer with its sheer force.  The visual impact of this work is simply arresting.  The variety of techniques used to produce the rich texture is palpable and yet at first glance the canvas seems effortless.  Great veils of color cascade down the canvas in sweeping, broken gestures.  One can easily get lost in the attempt to fully absorb the surface.  The choreography of undulating colors is a pure embodiment of Richter's main concern, Process.  Richter's handling of the medium speaks to his mastery and understanding of its possibilities.  Breaking away from the artistic traditions and concerns of previous generations, Richter takes the pillars of abstractions - color, gesture, form - and employs them in a bold new direction, utterly his own.  A true artistic genius, Richter's acceptance as one of the most important artist's working today stems from the knowledge that his intellectual exploration of Art, Method and Process has immeasurably benefited the development of Contemporary Art.