Gerhard Richter and the work series that reshaped painting

From the AD HOC NEWS Art Desk » Work Series & Retrospective Desk - The editors cover exhibitions, auctions, collections, prizes and artistic positions. Published: June 27, 2026 · Last checked: June 27, 2026, 9:12 PM

Gerhard Richter has built an oeuvre that stretches from blurred photo paintings to shimmering abstractions and sober color charts. His work groups have become reference points for museums and collectors worldwide, with canvases regularly achieving multi-million dollar prices at auction.

Key work series across six decades

Richter's early photo paintings of the 1960s translate black-and-white snapshots into large, grey canvases, often slightly blurred to question photographic truth and memory. These works include family scenes, political motifs and everyday subjects treated with equal painterly attention.

From the late 1970s onward he pushed into abstraction, developing the series commonly referred to simply as Abstrakte Bilder, where layers of color are dragged across the surface with squeegees. Paint is applied, removed and reapplied, leaving complex, luminous structures that resist easy reading while retaining a strong physical presence.

Work groups as retrospective backbone

Major retrospectives, such as the large survey at Fondation Louis Vuitton that ran from October 17, 2025 to March 2, 2026, have often been structured around these recurring series and motifs. There, more than 270 works spanning six decades were presented, from figurative paintings to abstractions and glass pieces.

Such shows underline how Richter returns to formats like grey paintings, cityscapes, landscape views and color charts over long periods. Viewers can trace gradual shifts in handling, scale and palette rather than isolated breakthroughs, which gives the retrospectives a slow, cumulative rhythm.

The core of Richter's practice

Richter works primarily with painting, yet his practice also includes photography, overpainted photographs, glass and mirror works and occasional sculpture. This breadth allows him to continually test how images are produced and perceived, whether in thick oil paint or industrial materials.

Across work groups, three constants emerge: a deep mistrust of simple images, a belief in painting's resilience and an attention to how historical events sit uneasily in visual form. The grey palette of many paintings underlines that restraint, avoiding expressive color for a more measured tone.

Where the artist stands now

Against this backdrop, Gerhard Richter's established work series continue to anchor his position as one of the most closely studied and widely exhibited painters of his generation.

This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.