Gerhard Richter

Exhibition at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, Paris, 17 October 2025 – 2 March 2026

Gerhard Richter describes himself as a “classical painter”. His training at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts led him to engage with the historical genres of still life, portraiture, landscape and history painting, and his desire to give them a contemporary interpretation is at the heart of the exhibition. Regardless of the subject, Richter never paints directly from nature or from the scene in front of him: everything is filtered through another medium, such as a photograph or a drawing, from which he creates an independent and autonomous image. He has also explored various painting techniques, creating works that range from calm and refined to bursting with energy, reflecting his physical engagement in the creative process.

This exhibition catalogue aims to present the complete evolution of Richter's career, which spans more than six decades. More than 250 works from 1962 to 2024—oil paintings, steel and glass sculptures, pencil and ink drawings, watercolours, and painted photographs—highlight both the continuities and ruptures in his achievements. Organised chronologically, each section covers approximately a decade and shows the evolution of a unique pictorial vision, from early paintings based on photographs to his final abstractions.