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.
