In the early 1980s, painting was reaffirming its status in the art world, with neo-expressionism (or 'Neue Wilde' as it was sometimes referred to in Germany) heading its revival. In the US, figures such as Philip Guston and Julian Schnabel were leading practitioners, and in Germany Georg Baselitz and Anselm Kiefer had risen to fame. In early 1981, an exhibition at the Royal Academy in London entitled A New Spirit in Painting brought many of these artists together – including Richter.[...]