Year: 1991
Medium: oil on canvas, signed, dated VII. 91 and numbered 749-7 on the reverse
Dimensions: 30 x 35 cm (11 3/4 × 13 3/4 in.)
Acquired from Sotheby’s, 2022
One of Richter’s most significant series of work “Abstrakte (Abstract)”. Richter categorized a group of related works with the same raisonné number (controlled numbers for all works). This work is the 7th in a series of 12 works with raisonné number 749. Unlike other “Abstrakte” series, this work and 749 series are classified as highly related to “Photo Painting”, which is also his most important series. The reason is that number 1 to 4 from 749 series are individually titled “Bühler Höhe” and are categorized as “Photo Painting”. This work depicts a grove of trees on a misty hill. Therefore, it must be recognized as related to the same series - although extremely abstract, the composition of the greenery of the hill and the grove of trees barely remains on the painting. The subsequent five works are even more abstract in which original forms of motifs are hardly retained. This painting is from an old collection of Richter’s former partner, sculptor Isa Genzken, however, disappeared for a while after Genzken gave it away. In 2015 when Catalogue Raisonné (Complete works) was created, this painting along with several works, were mistakenly listed as destroyed (Verified).
