Gerhard Richter: 40 Years of Painting

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.
 

Gerhard Richter has been widely regarded as a publicity shy artist. However, the biography Gerhard Richter, Maler gives an insight into Richter’s personal history as well as into the development of his artistic œuvre.
Besides an evaluation of numerous letters and material from the Gerhard Richter archive, the book includes conversations with the artist as well as several of his contemporaries. Dietmar Elger, director of the Gerhard Richter Archive, describes Richter’s daily studio routine and his creative process. Thanks to detailed background information, this book contributes to an understanding of Richter’s art in connection with his life.

This issue of the Patrimonia series was published on the occasion of the acquisition of the painting Portrait Dr. Knobloch of 1964 by Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden in 2009. The history of the painting’s origin, which was one of Gerhard Richter’s first commissioned portraits, is analysed in context of his other early portraits. The portraits after passport photos are highlighted especially and compared with portraits by Andy Warhol.

Text contribution by Dietmar Elger, director of the Gerhard Richter Archive Dresden.

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.
Besides an evaluation of numerous letters and material from the Gerhard Richter archive, the book includes conversations with the artist as well as several of his contemporaries. Dietmar Elger, director of the Gerhard Richter Archive, describes Richter’s daily studio routine and his creative process. Thanks to detailed background information, this book contributes to an understanding of Richter’s art in connection with his life.

This English translation of the biography Gerhard Richter, Maler by Dietmar Elger, published in 2009, was slightly revised for the Anglophone reader.

Gerhard Richter has been widely regarded as a publicity shy artist. However, the biography Gerhard Richter, Maler gives an insight into Richter’s personal history as well as into the development of his artistic œuvre.
Besides an evaluation of numerous letters and material from the Gerhard Richter archive, the book includes conversations with the artist as well as several of his contemporaries. Dietmar Elger, director of the Gerhard Richter Archive, describes Richter’s daily studio routine and his creative process. Thanks to detailed background information, this book contributes to an understanding of Richter’s art in connection with his life.

This edition of the biography Gerhard Richter, Maler published in 2008 was slightly revised to include details of more recent events in Richter’s life.