Gerhard Richter

From 17 October 2025 to 2 March 2026, the Louis Vuitton Foundation will host an exceptional retrospective dedicated to Gerhard Richter, one of the most influential artists of the post-war period. Born in Dresden in 1932, Richter lived through the upheavals of the 20th century, from Nazi Germany to the Cold War, forging a body of work that is both intimate and universal.

The monumental and poetic work of a living legend of contemporary painting

The exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton brings together more than 100 works, from his early photorealistic paintings to large-scale abstracts, including his famous Strips and the stained glass window for Cologne Cathedral. It offers an insight into the world of an artist who, at the age of 93, continues to fascinate with his freedom and rigour.

A journey between two worlds

Trained at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, which was then subject to socialist realism, Richter fled the GDR in 1961 to move to Düsseldorf, where he discovered the Western avant-garde. There he met Sigmar Polke and Konrad Lueg, with whom he founded the ‘capitalist realism’ movement, an ironic response to American pop art.

Art as a mirror of doubt

Richter is a painter of doubt. He oscillates between blurred figuration and pure abstraction, rejecting any hierarchy between styles. His iconic works, such as Betty and Kerze, question memory, perception and the truth of the image. He also made a lasting impression with poignant series such as 18 October 1977, inspired by the death of members of the Red Army Faction.

Cultural emotions run high in the Paris Region.