Gerhard Richter

The catalogue of the exhibition Gerhard Richter. Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, London in 2009 focuses on Richter's portraiture.

Author and curator Paul Moorhouse presents a systematic examination of Richter's work within this genre. The portraits, exclusively painted after photographic source images, are categorised according to their origin. The chapter "Devotional Pictures" compiles images that can be traced back to family photo albums, whereas the source images in the chapter "Continual Uncertainty" mostly derive from newspapers or magazines and reflect the zeitgeist.  However, the greatest share is formed by portraits of people from Richter's intimate circle: artists, friends and family members.

With over a hundred full-colour illustrations, Gerhard Richter. Portraits. Painting Appearances makes an important contribution to our understanding of the artist's work within this genre.

The catalogue of the exhibition Gerhard Richter. Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, London in 2009 focuses on Richter's portraiture.

Author and curator Paul Moorhouse presents a systematic examination of Richter's work within this genre. The portraits, exclusively painted after photographic source images, are categorised according to their origin. The chapter "Devotional Pictures" compiles images that can be traced back to family photo albums, whereas the source images in the chapter "Continual Uncertainty" mostly derive from newspapers or magazines and reflect the zeitgeist.  However, the greatest share is formed by portraits of people from Richter's intimate circle: artists, friends and family members.

With over a hundred full-colour illustrations, Gerhard Richter. Portraits. Painting Appearances makes an important contribution to our understanding of the artist's work within this genre.
 

The publication Gerhard Richter. Editions 1965 – 2013 updates the catalogue raisonné of his editions that was published ten years earlier. This book includes additionally 35 new and hitherto unknown works, as well as proofs. It contains all original works that were made in editions, such as prints, photographic editions, artist’s books, artist’s posters, multiples and editions of paintings, which were produced before 2013.

Text contributions by Hubertus Butin and Stefan Gronert provide an insight into techniques, form, relevance and context of the editions. Butin analyses the significance of editions in Richter’s oeuvre as well as its relevance in art history. Gronert concentrates on the importance of photography in Richter’s oeuvre; not only does it play a role as a medium of reproduction but also as source of templates for his paintings.

The publication Gerhard Richter. Editionen 1965 – 2013 updates the catalogue raisonné of his editions that was published ten years earlier. This book includes additionally 35 new and hitherto unknown works, as well as proofs. It contains all original works that were made in editions, such as prints, photographic editions, artist’s books, artist’s posters, multiples and editions of paintings, which were produced before 2013.

Text contributions by Hubertus Butin and Stefan Gronert provide an insight into techniques, form, relevance and context of the editions. Butin analyses the significance of editions in Richter’s oeuvre as well as its relevance in art history. Gronert concentrates on the importance of photography in Richter’s oeuvre; not only does it play a role as a medium of reproduction but also as source of templates for his paintings.

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.

In his essay, Stefan Gronert discusses the position of the portrait in the artist’s oeuvre. He begins by looking at Richter’s early black and white pictures, then moving on to his more recent colour charts. The artist has explored this subject through various media, including painting, graphic reproduction, drawings, photography and film. Research conducted for this publication unearthed portraits in the artist’s archive that were hitherto unknown; now published in this monograph for the first time.

In his essay, Hubert Butin examines some of these newly discovered works; in particular focusing on Richter’s portrait photography of the 1960s.