"1025 colors" (1974) by Gerhard Richter, reproduction on paper

Gerhard Richter, born on February 9, 1932 in Dresden, is undoubtedly one of the most important contemporary artists of the 20th century. His works are characterized by diversity and joy of experimentation and made him an internationally renowned painter. In 1966, Richter made a groundbreaking discovery that was to fundamentally change his artistic work: color pattern cards. These cards are usually used by manufacturers to display and select different colors. But for judges they were much more than that - they became his source of inspiration. Fascinated by the countless possibilities of the color combinations, Gerhard Richter began to meticulously record the patterns on the cards. This resulted in a kind of visual diary of his thoughts and ideas about color. But he was not only limited to traiting the patterns; Rather, he used them as a starting point for his own compositions. With every new work, Richter repeatedly re -arranged the color fields - sometimes harmoniously lying side by side, sometimes wildly mixed up or even strictly geometrically arranged. In this way, he created fascinating visual symphonies full of lively contrasts and tension -charged compositions. An outstanding example of this is his work "1974", which was painted with paint colors on canvas. Today it is located in the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark. The work bears number 354 in Richter's extensive list of works and is an impressive testimony of his creative creativity.