Gerard Richter Value: Top Prices Paid at Auction

When Abstraktes Bild (1986) sold for £30.3 million at Sotheby’s London in 2015, it set a record for the highest price achieved by a living European artist, impressivly exceeding its £14–£20 million estimate. The painting's layered texture was created through thick application of oil paints, a wooden board, and a homemade squeegee to scrape away excess paint. This large-scale piece, measuring nearly 10 by 8 feet, was one of Richter’s personal favourites, further enhancing its appeal and collectability in the market.

Richter's Abstraktes Bild paintings are renowned for their vibrant colours, bold textures, and large scale. These three elements in these works significantly contribute to their high market value, consistently achieving top prices at auction. Abstraktes Bild (1994), a prime example, features thick paint layers, which create the sense of dynamic movement across the canvas, achieved for £29.6 million at Christie’s New York in May 2022 ranking as the second highest painting in Richter's body of work.

Richter's Abstraktes Bild (1987) is a striking diptych, embodying his signature squeegee aesthetic and serving as a prime example of his celebrated abstract series. Measuring over eight by 13 feet, this work is one of only five pieces of this scale still privately held. Initially selling in 2018, this work appreciated by 8.75% selling for £27.8 million at Phillips New York in 2023. Its impressive exhibition history, including presentations at Durand-Dessert in Paris and the Carnegie International, cements its status as a pivotal work from a peak period in Richter's career in the 1980s.

A B, Still (1986) was the highlight of Sotheby's 2016 Contemporary Art evening auction, achieving £27.2 million. It was one of seven Richter works from the private collection of Steven Ames, a partner at Oppenheimer & Co., who originally purchased the work for $264,000 (USD) in 1991. While not the largest of the Richter works offered in the sale, A B, Still is over seven feet tall and is distinguished by its iconic layered abstract oil paint technique ranking among Richter's highest-selling works.

Richter's Abstraktes Bild series is a masterful exploration of colour and movement, enveloping the viewer in a dynamic visual experience. Abstraktes Bild (1997) is a stunning example, dominated by deep crimson reds and jewel-toned purples, interspersed with hints of blues and greens. The thick application of paint and meticulous layering technique highlight Richter's command of colour and texture, capturing the physicality and materiality of the painting process. This powerful embodiment of artistic expression achieved an impressive £25.7 million at Sotheby’s New York in November 2023.

From his first Seestück (Seascape) painting in 1968, Richter’s portfolio of panoramic seascapes has grown to nearly 25 works. This work created in 1975 achieved £24.6 million as part of The Macklowe Collection at Sotheby’s New York in May 2022. Constructed with meticulous attention to detail, Richter portrays a serene seascape, capturing the movement of the vivid blue sky breaking through thick clouds and a horizon that melds seamlessly with the sea in muted grey tones. Its monumental scale and captivating movement make thes paintings emblematic of Richter’s groundbreaking oeuvre.

Abstraktes Bild (797-2) (1993) was offered in one of the most expensive single-owner sale in auction history at Sotheby’s New York in 2021. The Macklowe Collection white-glove sale, which featured 35 works from prominent American and European artists, achieved a remarkable total of £438.5 million. Abstraktes Bild (797-2) was acquired by a private London collector for an impressive £24.5 million, surpassing its £22 million high estimate. The painting's vibrant mix of red, yellow, and blue tones, characteristic of Richter’s abstract style, along with its substantial 2.4 metres in scale.

In 2013, Richter’s Domplatz, Mailand (Cathedral Square, Milan) (1968) set a new record for a living artist, selling for £24.2 million to a Napa Valley vineyard owner. Originally commissioned by Siemens for an office space, the piece exemplifies Richter’s 1960s photo-painting technique, with its distinctive blurred black-and-white details rendered on an expansive canvas of nearly three square metres.

In March 2023, Richter's Abstraktes Bild (596) (1986) achieved an impressive £24.1 million at Sotheby’s London. Spanning nearly 4 metres in width, this painting, like many of Richter’s top-selling pieces, exemplifies the monumental scale and value attributed to his work. Created during a pivotal year in his career, the piece features a vivid abstract landscape where contrasting hues collide yet harmonise within a dynamic composition. The palette, with strokes of teal and purple, evokes the colour schemes of Modern masters and bears a resemblance to Monet’s waterlilies, engaging in a compelling dialogue with art historical references.

In October 2022, Richter's Abstraktes Bild (725-1) (1990) sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong for just over £23 million, underscoring his global presence and the international demand for these significant works. Created in 1990, this piece is a notable part of Richter's acclaimed Abstraktes Bild series, which began in the 1980s. As part of the exclusive 725 portfolio, which includes only five paintings, it exemplifies Richter's compelling abstract style. The work’s expansive dimensions, spanning over two metres in both height and width, coupled with its vivid chromatic depth, draw viewers into a mesmerising visual experience, showcasing Richter’s unparalleled ability to capture these elements through abstraction.