11/08/2025
“I see myself as the heir to an enormous, great, rich culture of painting, and of an art in general, which we have lost, but which nevertheless is an obligation. In such a situation, it’s difficult not to want to restore that culture, or—just as bad—simply to give up, to degenerate.”
— Gerhard Richter, 1986
Since the inception of Edward Tyler Nahem, Gerhard Richter has been central to our program. Now 93, Richter has embraced many concepts in his work and continually thwarts categorization.
On October 17, 2025, the Fondation Louis Vuitton opened a major retrospective dedicated to him—an unprecedented survey spanning over sixty years of his artistic production. Richter’s work was first presented at the Fondation’s inaugural exhibition in 2014, marking the beginning of a sustained dialogue with the institution. This new retrospective, encompassing 270 works spanning six decades, offers a panoramic view of Richter’s evolving engagement with abstraction, figuration, memory, and perception.
The exhibition remains on view through March 2, 2026.
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1. “Birkenau” (2014), four monumental canvases that started with photographs taken secretly by prisoners at the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. Courtesy New York Times.
2. Installation view, Gerhard Richter, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, France, 2025. Artworks © Gerhard Richter 2025 (18102025). Photo © Fondation Louis Vuitton / Marc Domage
3. Installation view of “Stroke (on Red)” (1980), Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, France, 2025. Courtesy New York Times.
4. Some of the composers, writers, scientists and philosophers Richter painted for “48 Portraits” (1971-72). Courtesy New York Times
5. “Two Sculptures for a Room by Palermo” (1971). Courtesy New York Times
6. Installation view of “Gerhard Richter,” including Domecke, 1987 (far left) and Betty, 1988 (far right). © Gerhard Richter 2025. Photo: © Fondation Louis Vuitton / Marc Domage