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Townscape Sa

Stadtbild Sa
Townscape Sa

1969 124 cm x 124 cm Catalogue Raisonné: 219-4

Oil on canvas

In contrast to the aerial photographs, some of which depict entire areas of towns, the townscapes are from a shorter distance, having been based on photographs of architectural models. Gerhard Richter omits entirely or only hints at details such as windows; the architecture is reduced to basic forms, leaving the distinct geometric shapes of individual buildings clearly recognizable.


The buildings are mainly rendered in light colours, with the prominent shadows in the paintings conveying the impression of bright sunlight. The paint is applied extensively; only some parts, often depicting trees or bushes, show distinct brushwork and additional shades of grey.


The unreal, partly sterile feel of the image can be attributed to both the reduction in detail and the use of an architectural model as the source image.

The simplified architectural forms illustrate how, while Gerhard Richter deals with the process of abstraction in this series, the motif always remains identifiable.


The depictions of minimalist architecture of the post-war era reflect an important sociopolitical issue of the 1950s and 1960s. In the course of the rebuilding of war-damaged Germany, new buildings of the kind depicted replaced lost houses. Thus, these paintings illustrate the optimistic fresh start made after the Second World War and can be understood as a counterpoint to the townscapes that are reminiscent of bombed-out cities.

Notes prepared by editorial team

This artwork is based on an image included in Atlas:

This Atlas sheet includes the source images of the following works:

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This artwork is included in the following publications:

Title Author Date

Issue

01 January 2017

Publisher

Duke University Press, Durham

Details

Softcover, 163 pages

ISBN

9780822370017

Language

English

Category

Monographs
Artwork Mentioned: pp. 115-117
More Details
Unconsolable Contemporary: Observing Gerhard Richter Rabinow, Paul 2017

Issue

01 January 2012

Publisher

Édition du Centre Pompidou, Paris

Editor

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

Details

Hardback, 304 pages

ISBN

978-2844265746

ISBN

284426574X

Language

French English

Category

Solo Exhibitions
Artwork Discussed: pp. 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 81

Exhibitions

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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

Issue

01 January 2012

Publisher

Prestel, München

Editor

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

Details

Hardback, 305 pages

ISBN

9783791351896

Language

German

Category

Solo Exhibitions
Artwork Mentioned: pp. 74-79

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

Issue

01 January 2011

Publisher

Marsilio, Venezia

Details

Softcover, 219 pages

ISBN

9788831711128

Language

Italian

Category

Monographs
Artwork Mentioned: pp. 71, 118
More Details
Il bordo del mondo: La forma sguardo nella pittura di Gerhard Richter Garbin, Emanuele 2011

Issue

01 January 2011

Publisher

Tate Publishing, London

Details

Softcover, 288 pages

ISBN

1854379453

ISBN

978-1854379450

Language

English

Category

Solo Exhibitions
Artwork Mentioned: pp. 74-78

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

Issue

01 January 2010

Publisher

Tate Publishing, London

Details

Softcover, 96 pages

ISBN

9781854379641

Language

English

Category

Monographs
Artwork Discussed: pp. 65-69

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

Issue

01 January 2009

Publisher

University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL

Details

Hardback, 408 pages

ISBN

9780226203232

Language

English

Category

Monographs
Artwork Mentioned: pp. 158

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. A Life in Painting Elger, Dietmar 2009

Issue

01 January 2008

Publisher

Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit

Details

Hardback, 160 pages

ISBN

9783775722490

Language

English

Category

Solo Exhibitions
Artwork Mentioned: pp. 137

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

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

Issue

01 January 2008

Publisher

Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit

Details

Hardback, 160 pages

ISBN

3775722483

Language

German

Category

Solo Exhibitions
Artwork Mentioned: pp. 137

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

Issue

01 January 2006

Publisher

Hatje Cantz, Ostildern-Ruit

Details

Hardback, 224 pages

ISBN

9783775717243

Language

German

Category

Monographs
Artwork Mentioned: pp. 59

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. Portraits Gronert, Stefan / Butin, Hubertus 2006

Issue

01 January 2005

Publisher

Richter Verlag, Düsseldorf in association with D.A.P Distributed Art Publishers, New York, NY

Details

Hardback, 324 pages

ISBN

9783937572215

ISBN

393757221X

Language

English

Category

Solo Exhibitions
Artwork Mentioned: pp. 28

Exhibitions

This catalogue raisonné records Richter’s works in the years 1993-2004. In his work, Gerhard Richter calls into question painting's boundaries, and the labels applied to painting and theories connected with them.

...
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Gerhard Richter. Catalogue Raisonné 1993–2004 Zweite, Armin 2005

Issue

01 January 1999

Publisher

Gli Ori, Prato

Details

Softcover, 205 pages

ISBN

8887700079

Language

Italian English

Category

Solo Exhibitions
Artwork Mentioned: pp. 16, 30, 169, 170, 171, 179, 181

Exhibitions

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

Issue

01 January 1998

Publisher

Insel-Verlag, Frankfurt a. M.

Details

Softcover, 172 pages

ISBN

345833937X

Language

German

Category

Monographs
Artwork Mentioned: pp. 53, 54
More Details
Gerhard Richter, 18. Oktober 1977. Eine Kunst-Monographie Hemken, Kai-Uwe 1998

Issue

01 January 1996

Publisher

Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit

Details

Hardback, 311 pages

ISBN

3893228608

Language

English German

Category

Group Exhibitions
Artwork Discussed: pp. 38, 48

Exhibitions

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

Issue

01 January 1993

Publisher

Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit

ISBN

3893225544

Language

German English French

Category

Solo Exhibitions

Notes

Three-volume box set.

Artwork

Exhibitions

Three-volume box set. Vol. 1: Illustrated works in exhibition. This volume (196 pp) contains approximately 92 four-colour and black and white plates (272 total works reproduced),

...
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Gerhard Richter: Catalogue Raisonné 1962 - 1993 Pagé, Suzanne / Jacob, Wenzel / Springfield, Björn / König, Kasper / Buchloh, Benjamin H. D. 1993
Gerhard Richter. Bilder = Paintings 1962 - 1985 Harten, Jürgen / Hering, Karl-Heinz / Honisch, Dieter / Loock, Ulrich / Ronte, Dieter / Elger, Dietmar 1986

Issue

01 January 1972

Publisher

Museum Folkwang, Essen

Details

Hardback, 154 pages

Language

Italian German English

Category

Solo Exhibitions
Artwork Mentioned: pp. 10-11
Illustrated: p. 66 (b/w)

Exhibitions

More Details
Gerhard Richter. 36. Biennale di Venezia, Padiglione tedesco = 36. Biennale in Venedig, Deutscher Pavilion = 36. Biennale in Venice, German Pavilion Honisch, Dieter / Helms, Dietrich / Honnef, Klaus / Ohff, Heinz / Dienst, Rolf Gunther / Schön, Rolf / Polke, Sigmar 1972

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