1.3.85
Gerhard Richter
German, born 1932
1985
A small mixed-media sheet in which Gerhard Richter combines watercolor, oil, crayon, and pencil to set bold, improvised gestural marks against fragile washes, probing the boundary between accident and control.
A diagonal, almost blinding yellow sweep dominates the page, set against deep ultramarine washes and smudged gray strokes so that the surface flips between translucent stains and thick, dragged impasto, creating a tense, kinetic balance.
Condensing Richter’s long fascination with process, chance, and scraping, this work exemplifies his influence on late‑20th‑century abstraction by foregrounding material gesture and the unpredictable effects of layering and erosion.
Medium
Watercolor, oil, crayon, and pencil on paper
Dimensions
6 1/2 x 9 1/2" (16.5 x 24.1 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection Gift
Accession
2872.2005
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
