Exceptional Works: Gerhard Richter
Familie Liechti (The Liechti Family), 1966
Oil on canvas
26 3/4 x 33 1/2 inches
68 x 85 cm
The Liechti family
A family photograph, showing the Liechtis posing in front of what could be assumed to be their home in Switzerland, is part of Richter’s studio archive and served as the basis for the present painting. The refinement of the horizontally oriented sfumato in this painting is at odds with the precision of photorealism as a genre: the visual dissonance creates a contradictory impression, with the physicality of the painting brought forward while the origin of the image seems to fade away.
Gerhard Richter, Tante Marianne (Aunt Marianne), 1965 (detail)
Gerhard Richter, Personengruppe (Group of People), 1965 (detail)
Family photos have formed the basis for some of Richter’s most famous works—including Tante Marianne (Aunt Marianne) (1965)—while other important works depict larger groups and crowds of individuals, such as Personengruppe (Group of People) (1965).
Gerhard Richter, Familie im Schnee (Family in the Snow), 1966