Monstein 1981

Gerhard Richter made this painting of Monstein, with oils, maybe even scraping and layering them into this foggy atmosphere. I wonder what it was like for Richter to stand there, looking at these mountains. Did he take a photo? Did he have to remember it later in the studio? These greys and muted pinks feel like an echo of a memory. Look how the paint seems to dissolve the forms, leaving us with a feeling, more than a clear picture. There's something so compelling about the way Richter teases the line between representation and abstraction. It reminds me of Turner, the way he captured light and atmosphere. You know, it makes you think about how artists are always responding to each other, building on what came before, and messing it up, of course!