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).'<sup>1

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

Notes prepared by editorial team

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		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 edit		2017
Issue 01 January 2013 Publisher LIT Verlag, Wien Details Softcover, 273 pages ISBN 9783643504623 Language German Category Monographs Artwork Mentioned: pp. 99 More Details		Gerhard Richter und die Geschichte Deutschlands		Jenni-Preihs, Monika edit		2013
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 Gerhard Richter: Panorama, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France, 2012  More Details		Gerhard Richter, Panorama: une rétrospective = a retrospective		Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille / Borchardt-Hume, Achim / Dickson, Amy / Haidu, Rachel / Mehring, Christine edit		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 Gerhard Richter: Panorama, Neue und Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2012  More Details		Gerhard Richter: Panorama: Retrospektive		Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille / Borchardt-Hume, Achim / Dickson, Amy / Haidu, Rachel / Mehring, Christine edit		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 edit		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 Gerhard Richter: Panorama, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France, 2011  Gerhard Richter: Panorama, Neue und Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2011  Gerhard Richter: Panorama, Tate Modern, London, UK, 2011  More Details		Gerhard Richter: Panorama: A Retrospective		Godfrey, Mark / Serota, Nicholas / Brill, Dorothée / Morineau, Camille / Borchardt-Hume, Achim / Dickson, Amy / Haidu, Rachel / Mehring, Christine edit		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, ... More Details		September. A History Painting by Gerhard Richter		Storr, Robert edit		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. ... More Details		Gerhard Richter. A Life in Painting		Elger, Dietmar edit		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 Gerhard Richter: Abstract Paintings, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany, 2008  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 edit		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 Gerhard Richter: Abstract Paintings, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany, 2008  Gerhard Richter: Abstract Paintings, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany, 2008  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 edit		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, Museumsberg Flensburg, Flensburg, Germany, 2006  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. ... More Details		Gerhard Richter. Portraits		Gronert, Stefan / Butin, Hubertus edit		2006
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, 171, 179, 181 Exhibitions Gerhard Richter, Centro per l'Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci, Prato, Italy, 1999  More Details		Gerhard Richter		Corà, Bruno / Buchloh, Benjamin H. D. / Chevrier, Jean Francois / Moscati, Italo edit		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 edit		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 Frieder Burda Collection: Gerhard Richter. Sigmar Polke. Arnulf Rainer, Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Baden-Baden, Germany, 1996  More Details		Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Arnulf Rainer. Sammlung Frieder Burda = Collection Frieder Burda		Poetter, Jochen / Brehm, Margrit / Möckel, Birgit edit		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 Gerhard Richter, Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden, 1993  Gerhard Richter: Painting 1962–1993, Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn, Germany, 1993  Gerhard Richter: Painting, Musée d'art moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France, 1993  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), ... More Details		Gerhard Richter: Catalogue Raisonné 1962 - 1993		Pagé, Suzanne / Jacob, Wenzel / Springfield, Björn / König, Kasper / Buchloh, Benjamin H. D. edit		1993
Issue 01 January 1986 Publisher DuMont, Köln Details Softcover, 402 pages ISBN 3770117727 Language German English Category Solo Exhibitions Artwork Mentioned: pp. 373 Illustrated: p. 99 (b/w) Exhibitions Gerhard Richter: Paintings 1962–1985, Museum moderner Kunst/Museum des 20. Jahrhunderts, Vienna, Austria, 1986  Gerhard Richter: Paintings 1963–1986, Kunsthalle Bern, Bern, Switzerland, 1986  Gerhard Richter: Paintings 1962–1985, Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 1986  Gerhard Richter: Paintings 1962–1985, Städtische Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany, 1986  More Details		Gerhard Richter. Bilder = Paintings 1962 - 1985		Harten, Jürgen / Hering, Karl-Heinz / Honisch, Dieter / Loock, Ulrich / Ronte, Dieter / Elger, Dietmar edit		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, 41 Illustrated: p. 65 (b/w) Exhibitions 36th Venice Biennale, German Pavilion, Venice, Italy, 1972  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 edit		1972

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