Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Christie’s to auction six works by Gerhard Richter at its Post-War and Contemporary Sale on May 8

Christie’s announced the auction of an exceptional selection of six important works by Gerhard Richter at its Post-War and Contemporary Sale on May 8, 2012. This major comprehensive grouping includes works from the 60’s to the 90’s and is estimate to realize more than $40 million.


Gerhard Richter (b. 1932), Farbschlieren. Signed, numbered and dated ‘239-2 Richter 1969’ (on the reverse), oil on canvas, 78 3/4 x 78 3/4 in. (200 x 200 cm.). Painted in 1968. Est: $4,000,000-6,000,000. Photo: Christie’s Images Ltd 2012.

Robert Manley, International Director, Specialist Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art declared: ?Christie’s is fortunate to be offering an outstanding group of major works by Gerhard Richter, including two unqualified masterworks, Seestüeck (Leicht bewölkt) and Abstraktes Bild (798-3) . The six paintings span 25 years of the artist’s career, from 1968 to 1993 and include his classic abstractions such as Abstraktes Bild (798-3) one of the most valuable Richters to come to market. From a breakthrough period of the 1960’s comes his sublime Seestüeck (Leicht bewölkt) one of a small series of Seascapes executed in the late 1960’s, most of which are in museum collections, including the Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, Bockmann Collection, Berlin and the Kunsthalle Hamburg. Rare to market is a 1968 large-scale painting Farbschlieren; sinuous, wide-brushed and vibrantly colored, it is integral to Richter’s development of his intuitive Abstrakte Bilders which would follow in the 1980’s. Rounding out the selection is a large Abstraktes Bild Violett (600-2) that was recently featured in the acclaimed Tate Modern retrospective, and two exquisite medium scale abstract paintings. With an aggregate low estimate of almost $40 million, the six works are primed to be a landmark event in the Richter market.”