The two paintings Man Shot Down 1 and 2 [CR: 669/1-2] are executed in a landscape format and show the dead body of Andreas Baader, co-founder of the Red Army Faction (RAF), who had been imprisoned in Stuttgart-Stammheim since June 1972 and committed suicide in the night to 18th October 1977. The images are based on photographs taken by the police shortly after the dead body had been discovered and that Richter had found in press archives in Hamburg. Moreover, the photograph had been published on 30th October 1980 in the print magazine stern[1].
Man Shot Down 1 [CR: 669-1] is dominated by Andreas Baader, lying diagonally on the ground. While his right arm is pressed against his body, the left arm is splayed out to the side. His neck seems to be overstretched, his mouth stands slightly open and his open eyes are transfixed on the ceiling. Because of the blurring of the image some details like the pool of blood around his head and the gun are hardly distinguishable. Baader’s dark trousers contrast with his pale skin and the folding screen partially visible behind his head that are set apart from the grey floor. Both the choice of detail and the relatively minor blurring thereby bring the painting closer to the original photograph.
Man Shot Down 2 [CR: 669-2] on the other hand shows a more elusive and almost other-worldly impression due to heavier blurring and a more focused detail of the original photograph. The boundaries between body and background become indistinct and Baader’s face now is hardly recognizable without further information. Details like the partially visible folding screen blend into the overall grey background and withdraw from focus. The body of Baader is the center of the painting. By moving the angle slightly around, Baader appears to be closer to the viewer but is also dematerialized by the increased blurring[2]. The imagery is less rich in contrasts than the first painting, underlining the general impression of atony and dissolution[3]. As in the other paintings of the dead terrorists (Dead 1 to 3 [CR: 667/1-3], Hanged [CR: 668]) these measures allow for an easier identification of the viewer with the subject while simultaneously creating a sense of distance to the occurrences; the closer the viewer gets to the painting to discern further details, the more elusive these become both visually and intellectually[4].
In both versions[5] the splayed-out arm alludes to the death of the depicted person as it signifies the loss of control over the body. Moreover, the posture is reminiscent of depictions of the Pietà and the Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David (1793)[6]. These art historical aspects make these images a part of a whole line of older works that deal with the dead body and underline the meaning of death for the whole cycle[7]. Gerhard Richter implies this by saying: “Then it all evolved […], in the direction of death. And that’s really not all that unpaintable. Far from it, in fact. Death and suffering have always been an artistic theme.'[8] Furthermore, the multiplication of the subject matter, the focus on constantly decreasing perspectives and the increased blurring, as can be found on other paintings of the cycle as well, resemble cinematographic techniques like stop-action-sequences, close-ups and fade-outs. The use of these techniques enhances the dramatic effect for the contemporary viewer even more. On the other hand, an increasing dematerialization of Andreas Baader is clearly recognisable, similar to the three paintings that show Ulrike Meinhof Dead [CR: 667/1-3]. Details are not easily detectable, the effects used so often to create a media frenzy are consciously avoided[9].
The painterly treatment of Gerhard Richter hence creates a distance to the depicted events and allows for a new contemplation of the death of the terrorists on an impartial level. This evoked many critical reactions, just as the publication of the original photographs had done 11 years earlier. Richter, however, detects a clear difference between photographs and paintings: “[…] the photograph provokes horror, and the painting – with the same motif – something more like grief. That comes very close to what I intended.'[10]
[1] Robert Storr (ed.), Gerhard Richter. October 18, 1977, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2000, pp. 106-108, 149.
[2] Achim Borchardt-Hume, “’Dreh Dich nicht um’ – Richters Bilder aus den späten 1980er-Jahren“, in: Mark Godfrey, Nicholas Serota, Dorothée Brill, Camille Morineau (ed.), Gerhard Richter. Panorama, exh. cat. Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin, Munich, 2012, p. 170.
[3] Martin Henatsch, Gerhard Richter – 18. Oktober 1977. Das verwischte Bild der Geschichte, Fischer, Frankfurt, 1998, p. 76.
[4] Borchardt-Hume 2012, p. 170.
[5] In notes drawn up for a press conference in Haus Esters in Krefeld, Richter mentions three paintings of Baader shot down. One of the paintings, however, was separated in the preliminary stages of the presentation of the cycle and can’t be identified anymore. (Cf. Dietmar Elger, Gerhard Richter, Catalogue Raisonné Vol. 4, Ostfildern, 2015, p. 121). In addition, the different image sections indicate a search for an adequate capturing of the event which is impossible due to the circumstances of the death. (Cf. Kai-Uwe Hemken, Gerhard Richter 18. Oktober 1977, insel, Frankfurt/Leipzig, 1998, p. 86).
[6] Storr 2000, p. 123.
[7] Ortrud Westheider, “Eine Idee, die bis zum Tod geht. Der Zyklus 18. Oktober 1977“, in: Uwe M. Schneede (ed.), Gerhard Richter. Bilder einer Epoche, exh. cat. Bucerius Kunst-Forum, Munich, 2011, p. 176.
[8] Conversation with Jan Thorn-Prikker concerning the 18 October 1977 cycle, 1989 (translated by David Britt) in: Gerhard Richter. Text. Writings, Interviews and Letters 1961-2007, Thames & Hudson, London, 2009, p. 227.
[9] Storr 2000, p. 106.
[10] Conversation with Jan Thorn-Prikker 1989, p. 229.
Notes prepared by editorial team
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, USA
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