How editions extend questions of images and originality.
Medium, date, publisher, catalogue reference, surface, margins, colour and provenance require close attention.
Selected work: Victoria II.
Medium, date, publisher, catalogue reference, surface, margins, colour and provenance require close attention. The apparent clarity of the image should not be confused with simplicity. Scale, spacing, surface and the relation between motif and support determine how the work is experienced.
Current examples include Victoria II, Seestück (Bewölkt), 1969 and Self-portrait. View the complete Gerhard Richter collection for current availability.
Explore available works by Gerhard Richter
Different bodies of work, different questions
Richter’s editions range across photographs, colour charts, abstractions and works related to painting. They should not be judged by one hierarchy. A photo-based image may turn on ambiguity and distance; a colour work may be about permutation and systems; an abstract edition may foreground process and translation. Decide which enquiry matters to you before comparing prices.
Evidence before assumption
Record title, date, medium, dimensions, edition, signature, publisher and catalogue reference. Because Richter has authorised objects and publications in varied formats, familiar imagery alone cannot identify status. Compare the exact edition and examine the sheet or object for fading, abrasion, handling and restoration. Provenance and a clear invoice are as important as visual appeal.
Looking more closely
Richter’s editioned work spans photographs, offset prints, screenprints and works derived from paintings, so a single collecting formula is inadequate. Identify how each object relates to the wider practice and whether it was conceived as an edition in its own right. Catalogue reference, publisher, date, medium, sheet size, provenance and condition provide the basis for meaningful comparison.
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