Thomas Schütte

Private Collection, Baden-Wuerrtemberg (by 2007)

• Rare early work from a pivotal 1984 series exploring architecture as a symbol of refuge
• Other versions of this subject are held in prominent museum collections, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris and MoMA in New York
• Powerful visual impact, combining gouache with formal contrasts that prefigure Schütte’s iconic sculptural language
• Schütte's institutional relevance and strong market presence are underscored by his current exhibition at the Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana in Venice, part of the Pinault Collection

A leading figure of contemporary German art, Thomas Schütte (b. 1954) has consistently challenged the traditional boundaries between sculpture, architecture, and drawing. Educated at the Düsseldorf Academy under Gerhard Richter and Fritz Schwegler, Schütte’s early work reveals a distinctive engagement with forms of shelter, power, and societal structures - themes that have remained central to his practice over the following decades.

Executed in 1984, Die Burg belongs to a rare series of 15 works that represent one of Schütte’s first investigations into architectural imagery. Using lacquer and gouache on paper, the work depicts a massive structure, colored in red - part fortress, part bunker, part fantastical building. The present piece stands out for its gouache application, composed around an oval form at the center. This central composition is encircled by black paint, further emphasizing the vivid colours within. In Die Burg, Schütte explores architecture as both a refuge and a source of threat, creating a powerful metaphor for protection and isolation. The tension between openness and fortification, between sanctuary and imprisonment has since become a hallmark of Schütte’s artistic language.

Further examples of the Die Burg series are held in major institutional collections, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris or the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Schütte’s continued exploration of architectural forms is currently on view in the major 2025 exhibition at the Pinault Collection in Venice, underscoring the lasting resonance of his oeuvre.