Gerhard Richter, Editions 1965-2004, Catalogue Raisonne

Reviewer's Bookwatch, April, 2005

Gerhard Richter, Editions 1965-2004, Catalogue Raisonne

edited by Hubertus Butin, Stefan Gronert, and the Dallas Museum of Art

Hatje Cantz Verlag

Stuttgart, Germany

www.hatjecantze.de; presse@hatjecantz.de

ISBN 3775714316 $75.00 285 pp.

A recent survey reported in the N. Y. Times on the most popular modern artists based on museum exhibitions, website hits, and other criteria placed Gerhard Richter third, closely behind Picasso and Warhol. So here is a catalogue raisonne documenting the art of this leading, popular contemporary artist over the past three decades. It is as much an art book on Richter as a work of complete documentation for reference. Most catalogues are similar to book bibliographies: They simply list all an artist's works over a period time with relevant notes. Often they picture some works, usually in black-and-white, sometimes with a few in color. But this comprehensive reference on Richter has more than 200 color photographs of his art works, nearly all of these one per page. The relevant annotations including measurements, medium, and background run alongside each of the pictured works. Additionally--again, unlike most catalogue raisonnes--this book has three essays by art experts on Richter's aesthetics and the various mediums he works in and techniques he uses. Richter's position as a popular and also influential contemporary artist is based on his imaginative and revealing treatment of images. This is a basic reference/art book for any private or public book collection on modern art.