Townscape Paris 1968

Gerhard Richter created this work, “Townscape Paris”, using oil on canvas. Richter came of age in a Germany wracked by war, and you can see how this personal history, as well as the wider cultural history of post-war Europe, informs his art. His work often plays with the themes of memory, history, and representation. Painted entirely in shades of grey, “Townscape Paris” almost looks like a photograph that’s been blurred or damaged. The city itself becomes indistinct, an ocean of stone, as Richter obscures any defining details. He has said he is “not trying to imitate a photograph… I’m trying to make something different." Is this anonymity a commentary on the universal experience of urban life or perhaps Richter’s expression of a past that evades clarity? As you gaze into the painting, consider the way it prompts us to reflect on the relationship between personal experience, collective memory, and the spaces we inhabit.