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Townscape

Stadtbild
Townscape

1969 70 cm x 70 cm Catalogue Raisonné: 224-18

Amphibolin on canvas

These rarely-exhibited townscapes, numbered 224 in Gerhard Richter's catalogue raisonné [CR: 224/6-10, 17-18], share one characteristic: the motifs are reduced to just a few shades of grey, reminiscent of stencil printing. 

The townscapes do not show the extensive road networks as in aerial photography [CR: 171, 175–177-3, 249–251], nor do they depict the clear geometrical order that characterises Richter's pictures of architectural models [CR: 217–219]. Instead the paintings show houses closely built together. The diversity of the buildings indicates the structure of a town or city that has grown over the years. 
The architectural forms were greatly simplified by the artist. Richter joins together grey-coloured fields with quick and impasto brushwork, while he foregoes any detailed elaboration. 

Although the buildings are depicted in perspective, it is the use of contrast that is most striking to the beholder: lighter shades stand out, whereas darker ones fade into the background. The perspective effect generated this way seems to be of more importance than the depicted motif itself. 

Gerhard Richter confirms that this series of paintings is above all about painterly qualities and that identifying the location of what is depicted plays only a minor role: "towns and mountains from a bird's-eye view (abandonment of the conception of interesting content and illusionistic painting; a spot of paint should be a spot of paint, and the motif needn't have a message or allow for interpretation)."1 

1 'Work Overview', 1968 in: Gerhard Richter: Text. Writings, Interviews and Letters 1961–2007, Thames & Hudson, London, 2009, p. 53 

Notes prepared by editorial team

This artwork was shown in the following exhibitions:

This artwork is included in the following publications:

Title
Author
Date
Unconsolable Contemporary: Observing Gerhard Richter
Rabinow, Paul
2017

Publisher

Duke University Press, Durham

Details

Softcover, 163 pages

ISBN

9780822370017

Language

English

Category

Monographs

...

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Gerhard Richter, Panorama: une rétrospective = a retrospective
Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille / Borchardt-Hume, Achim / Dickson, Amy / Haidu, Rachel / Mehring, Christine
2012

Publisher

Édition du Centre Pompidou, Paris

Editor

Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille

Details

Hardback, 304 pages

ISBN

978-2844265746, 284426574X

Language

French, English

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

More Details
Gerhard Richter: Panorama: Retrospektive
Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille / Borchardt-Hume, Achim / Dickson, Amy / Haidu, Rachel / Mehring, Christine
2012

Publisher

Prestel, München

Editor

Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille

Details

Hardback, 305 pages

ISBN

9783791351896

Language

German

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

More Details
Gerhard Richter: Panorama: A Retrospective
Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille / Borchardt-Hume, Achim / Dickson, Amy / Haidu, Rachel / Mehring, Christine
2011
Il bordo del mondo: La forma sguardo nella pittura di Gerhard Richter
Garbin, Emanuele
2011

Publisher

Marsilio, Venezia

Details

Softcover, 219 pages

ISBN

9788831711128

Language

Italian

Category

Monographs

...

More Details
September. A History Painting by Gerhard Richter
Storr, Robert
2010

Publisher

Tate Publishing, London

Details

Softcover, 96 pages

ISBN

9781854379641

Language

English

Category

Monographs

In this publication, eminent American scholar and curator Robert Storr offers an authoritative consideration of September, Richter’s 2005 painting made in response to the attacks on the WorldTrade Center of 11 September 2001,

...
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Gerhard Richter. A Life in Painting
Elger, Dietmar
2009

Publisher

University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL

Details

Hardback, 408 pages

ISBN

9780226203232

Language

English

Category

Monographs

Gerhard Richter has been widely regarded as a publicity shy artist. However, the biography Gerhard Richter. A Life in Painting gives an insight into Richter’s personal history as well as into the development of his artistic œuvre.

...
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Gerhard Richter: Abstrakte Bilder
Wilmes, Ulrich / Buchloh, Benjamin H. D. / Söntgen, Beate / Stemmrich, Gregor
2008

Publisher

Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit

Details

Hardback, 160 pages

ISBN

3775722483

Language

German

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

The book was published on the occasion of the exhibition Gerhard Richter. Abstrakte Bilder at Museum Ludwig, Cologne and Haus der Kunst, Munich. The exhibitions were dedicated to Gerhard Richter’s abstract pictures

...
More Details
Gerhard Richter. Large Abstracts
Wilmes, Ulrich / Buchloh, Benjamin H. D. / Söntgen, Beate / Stemmrich, Gregor
2008

Publisher

Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit

Details

Hardback, 160 pages

ISBN

9783775722490

Language

English

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

The book was published on the occasion of the exhibition Gerhard Richter. Abstrakte Bilder at Museum Ludwig, Cologne and Haus der Kunst, Munich. The exhibitions were dedicated to Gerhard Richter’s abstract pictures

...
More Details
Gerhard Richter. Portraits
Gronert, Stefan / Butin, Hubertus
2006

Publisher

Hatje Cantz, Ostildern-Ruit

Details

Hardback, 224 pages

ISBN

9783775717243

Language

German

Category

Monographs

Exhibitions

Gerhard Richter. Portraits is the first publication that focuses solely on Richter’s portraits, many of which have now gained both recognition and veneration across the globe.

...
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Gerhard Richter
Corà, Bruno / Buchloh, Benjamin H. D. / Chevrier, Jean Francois / Moscati, Italo
1999

Publisher

Gli Ori, Prato

Details

Softcover, 205 pages

ISBN

8887700079

Language

Italian, English

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

More Details
Gerhard Richter, 18. Oktober 1977. Eine Kunst-Monographie
Hemken, Kai-Uwe
1998

Publisher

Insel-Verlag, Frankfurt a. M.

Details

Softcover, 172 pages

ISBN

345833937X

Language

German

Category

Monographs

...

More Details
Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Arnulf Rainer. Sammlung Frieder Burda = Collection Frieder Burda
Poetter, Jochen / Brehm, Margrit / Möckel, Birgit
1996

Publisher

Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit

Details

Hardback, 311 pages

ISBN

3893228608

Language

English, German

Category

Group Exhibitions

Exhibitions

...

More Details
Gerhard Richter. Bilder = Paintings 1962 - 1985
Harten, Jürgen / Hering, Karl-Heinz / Honisch, Dieter / Loock, Ulrich / Ronte, Dieter / Elger, Dietmar
1986

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