The thread in the art of Richter is the perception. With a whole range of colors, he structures the picture to capture and keep the viewer's attention. Sensory interpretations of the same artwork can be very different from one person to another. The retinal differentiation in color vision provides the depth. Horizontal, vertical and sometimes oblique areas create the rhythm.
This trend reached its peak in the 1990s. Richter's painting is a total art that may claim a legacy both from Monet and from Bach.
The opus 809 is a series of four oils on canvas 225 x 200 cm painted in 1994. The colors are varied from one painting to another and an interpretation as a collection of landscapes is possible. A musical intention is equally plausible. 'Bach', painted in 1992, also brought together four elements.
There is no doubt that Richter infuses his creativity with musical impressions throughout this phase. 'Cage' is a set of six elements painted in 2006. Remaining cautious against the mystical impulses of Rothko, Richter appropriates the profession of faith of John Cage : "I have nothing to say and I am saying it".
809-3 belongs jointly to the Tate and to the National Galleries of Scotland. The other three 809 were purchased at auction in 2001 by Eric Clapton. 809-4 was sold for £ 21.3M including premium by Sotheby's on October 12, 2012. 809-1 was sold for $ 21M including premium by Christie's on November 12, 2013. 809-2 is estimated $ 18M for sale by Christie's in New York on November 15, lot 28 A.
SOLD for $ 22M including premium
Eric Clapton’s Third Richter Comes to Christie’s in November Despite Down Market https://t.co/eET63ZsirR pic.twitter.com/TbyahvFz42
— Art Market Monitor (@artmarket) September 30, 2016