Gerhard Richter – Abstraktes Bild (725-4)
One of only a handful of spectacular examples of Gerhard Richter’s Abstrakte Bilder in private hands comes up at Sotheby’s Contemporary Art evening sale in London on February 10. Painted in 1990 Abstraktes Bild (725-4) remained in the artist’s private collection until 1996 when it was unveiled at an exhibition of his personal paintings at the Carre d’Art in Nimes: “Gerhard Richter: 100 Pictures”. The work has not been exhibited publically since.
Acquired by the current owner via Marian Goodman and Anthony d’Offay in 1996 it will be offered at auction for the very first time with an estimate of £14-20 million. “There continues to be great momentum in the Richter market, particularly for his abstract works. This particular example is monolithic and muscular, a masterpiece with a spectacular structure comprised of dramatic layers of a kaleidoscope of colours. With its enviable provenance, it has all the ingredients you’d hope for from a truly great Richter abstract” said Isabelle Paagman, Sotheby’s senior director, Contemporary Art.
The world’s most valuable living painter, Gerhard Richter has seen his auction record broken three times in the past four years, most recently at Sotheby’s in London when an Abstraktes Bild from 1986, estimated at £14-20m, sold for £30.4m last February.