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Notes
The paintings Townscape M1 up to Townscape M9 [CR: 170/1-9] constitute Gerhard Richter's first series dealing with townscapes. In 1968 Gerhard Richter received the commission to paint a Milan cityscape, which resulted in the creation of Cathedral Square, Milan [CR: 169]. In the course of his preoccupation with the city of Milan as a motif, he also created the paintings Townscape M1 to M9.
Gerhard Richter initially produced one large-scale painting on one canvas, which he later cut into nine almost identically square pieces. The original painting is based on an aerial photograph, which survives on sheet 119 of Richter's Atlas. With Milan Cathedral at its centre, the source photograph allows for the localisation of the individual parts of the picture: Townscape M4 depicts a section of the ring of chapels of Milan Cathedral, and in the foreground the roofs of houses opposite.
Transforming the aerial photograph into paint, Gerhard Richter enlarged it without adding missing details. Thus, black, white and grey colour patches are liberally applied onto the canvas in a pastose manner.
The original painting's format of 275 x 290 cm was designed to be viewed from a greater distance. The dismantling of the painting into nine smaller formats means the beholder must stand closer in order to view them. What could have, from a distance, been recognised as an aerial image of a city disintegrates into abstract lines and areas when seen close-up.
The series Townscapes M1 up to M9 illustrates Gerhard Richter's engagement in the process of abstraction: starting from a concrete depiction, which was enlarged at first and then cropped, the final image can barely be traced back to the source photograph. The numbering of the single parts of the painting, which do not relate in any way to their initial positions in the original large format, also suggests that any kind of identification is less important to Richter than the painterly process of abstraction.
Notes prepared by editorial team -
Sales history
Sotheby's, London, UK - 06 February 2003
Estimate: £ 180,000 - 250,000 $ 281,000 - 391,000Sold For:Bought In -
Exhibitions
- Gerhard Richter – Städtebilder
Gerhard Richter – Townscapes
Galerie Heiner Friedrich, Munich, Germany April 14, 1970 May 05, 1970
- Gerhard Richter
Gegenverkehr e.V. Zentrum für aktuelle Kunst, Aachen, Germany March 27, 1969 April 22, 1969
- Gerhard Richter. Städte
Gerhard Richter: Cities
Galerie René Block, Berlin, Germany January 17, 1969 February 05, 1969
- Junge deutsche Künstler. 14 x 14 – Leben im Museum
Young German Artists: 14 x 14 – Living in the Museum
Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Baden-Baden, Germany April 05, 1968 April 15, 1968
- Gerhard Richter – Städtebilder
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Videos
This artwork is mentioned in the following talks:
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Literature
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Harten, Jürgen / Hering, Karl-Heinz / Honisch, Dieter / Loock, Ulrich / Ronte, Dieter / Elger, Dietmar
Gerhard Richter. Bilder = Paintings 1962 - 1985 DuMont, Köln, 1986 Mentioned: pp. 24, 38, 39, 368Illustrated: p. 69 -
Elger, Dietmar
Gerhard Richter. Maler DuMont, Köln, 2002 Mentioned: p. 153Discussed: pp. 200, 201, 203 -
Zweite, Armin
Gerhard Richter. Werkverzeichnis 1993-2004 Richter Verlag, Düsseldorf in association with D.A.P Distributed Art Publishers, New York, NY, 2005 Mentioned: pp. 25, 26 -
Wilmes, Ulrich / Buchloh, Benjamin H. D. / Söntgen, Beate / Stemmrich, Gregor
Gerhard Richter. Abstrakte Bilder Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit, 2008 Mentioned: p. 137 -
Wilmes, Ulrich / Buchloh, Benjamin H. D. / Söntgen, Beate / Stemmrich, Gregor
Gerhard Richter. Large Abstracts Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit, 2008 Mentioned: p. 137
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Harten, Jürgen / Hering, Karl-Heinz / Honisch, Dieter / Loock, Ulrich / Ronte, Dieter / Elger, Dietmar