XL 513 1964

Gerhard Richter’s 1964 painting “XL 513” is a prime example of his “photo-painting” style. It depicts a jet plane in flight, blurred by the artist’s use of a squeegee and paint to replicate the look of a photograph. This technique, which Richter began experimenting with in the early 1960s, both celebrates and critiques the role of photography in modern life, blurring the lines between reality and representation. The painting’s muted colors and abstract composition give it a haunting quality, suggestive of the anxieties and uncertainties of the Cold War era.