Why is the Canaries Landscape collection so important?

At Documenta II, a cutting-edge exhibition held in the West Germany city of Kassel in 1959, Richter was party to groundbreaking works by the likes of Jackson Pollock, Henry Moore, and Pablo Picasso. His life – and work – was changed forever. But it wasn’t until Richter began to travel widely that he was confronted with an immense variety of new styles and artistic subjects, which, with the help of the camera, he began to compile into an immense image-based collection of reference: his ’Atlas’. Richter decided to escape East Germany in 1961 – the same year in which the Berlin Wall was later built. In the Canaries Landscapes, we are witness to the relative personal and artistic freedom this decision afforded. Imbued with a sense of the exotic and the protean, these images recall a young Richter at what was still a relatively early – and formative – stage of his career.

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Canaries Landscapes by Gerhard Richter Background & Meaning

Canaries
Landscapes

In Canaries Landscapes, Gerhard Richter turns his attention to the art historical trope of the landscape. Fascinated with cultural memory, he depicts a desolate and barren scene—the dramatic volcanic landscape of the Canary Islands —seemingly rendering it as the uncanny image of a forgotten, rugged prehistory.

Meaning & Analysis

Gerhard Richter is one of the most significant German artists of all time. Well-known for his incredibly large and stylistically heterogenous ouevre, he has left few subjects untouched. From his historically-inspired paintings of newspaper photographs depicting Chinese Communist Mao Zedong, through to photorealistic paintings of still-life objects and architectural features, Richter runs the gamut of all-things contemporary. In this collection, entitled Canaries Landscapes, Richter turns his attention to yet another key artistic trope: the landscape.

In Kanarische Landschaften 1 - e (1971) and Kanarische Landschaften 1 – a (1971), we are party to an intensely detailed portrayal of a rugged, volcanic landscape. Both prints make use of the highly sophisticated heliogravure process, a transfer-based printing technique that allows Richter to combine an expressive touch and an eye for granular detail. Kanarische Landschaften II – f (1971) recalls Richter’s immense Atlas – a collection of photographs, newspaper clippings, and sketches the artist has compiled since the 1960s. In so doing, the photographic basis and origin of Richter’s art are once again laid bare.

Born in Dresden in 1932, Richter received formal artistic training at the Dresden Academy. Then under the purview of East German and Soviet authorities, the Academy limited its students to the production of fiercely ideological, socialist realist art designed to portray the glories of Communism. Opting to study under mural painter Heinz Lohmar, Richter was later exposed to a relatively free and cosmopolitan style of painting; but it was the artist’s aunt, who lived in allied-controlled West Germany, who was ultimately responsible for his denunciation of artistic conformity. Sending the artist excerpts from the photography magazine ‘Magnum’ every month, this aunt granted Richter privileged access to artistic developments taking place in Western Europe, and an immense body of photographic reference points for his artworks. When Richter was later granted permission to exhibitions in the West, he realised, in his own words, that ‘there was something wrong with my whole way of thinking’.

At Documenta II, a cutting-edge exhibition held in the West Germany city of Kassel in 1959, Richter was party to groundbreaking works by the likes of Jackson Pollock, Henry Moore, and Pablo Picasso. His life – and work – was changed forever. But it wasn’t until Richter began to travel widely that he was confronted with an immense variety of new styles and artistic subjects, which, with the help of the camera, he began to compile into an immense image-based collection of reference: his ’Atlas’. Richter decided to escape East Germany in 1961 – the same year in which the Berlin Wall was later built. In the Canaries Landscapes, we are witness to the relative personal and artistic freedom this decision afforded. Imbued with a sense of the exotic and the protean, these images recall a young Richter at what was still a relatively early – and formative – stage of his career.
If you're looking to sell art by Gerhard Richter, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.