From October 17, 2025, to March 2, 2026, the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris will host an unprecedented retrospective exhibition dedicated to the acclaimed German artist Gerhard Richter. This extensive exhibition features 270 works created between 1962 and 2024, providing an unparalleled overview of over six decades of artistic innovation by one of the most influential contemporary painters.
Gerhard Richter, born in Dresden in 1932, fled East Germany for Düsseldorf in 1961 before settling in Cologne, where he continues to live and work. The artist is widely regarded as a defining figure of modern and contemporary art, often transcending classifications by moving effortlessly between figurative and abstract genres. To learn more about this influential artist, the Fondation Louis Vuitton website offers an in-depth look at his retrospective.
A Rich Artistic Journey Across Media
This landmark retrospective showcases not only Richter’s oil paintings but also his glass and steel sculptures, pencil and ink drawings, watercolors, and overpainted photographs. For the first time, visitors will experience a comprehensive view of Richter’s vast artistic production, revealing his continuous experimentation and evolution.
Organized chronologically by decade, the exhibition highlights the artist’s key phases—ranging from early photo-based paintings to his later abstract canvases—and the thematic diversity spanning portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and history paintings. Notably, the retrospective includes striking works from the October 18, 1977 series, which addresses German history explicitly and is on loan from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Further details about these works and the exhibition’s scope are available on David Zwirner's official page.
Curatorial Vision and Exhibition Highlights
The retrospective is co-curated by Dieter Schwarz and Nicholas Serota, two prominent figures in the art world. Their curatorial approach allows viewers to explore Richter’s works decade by decade, underscoring shifts and continuities in his practice. From the 1976–1986 period, the artist explored abstraction through enlarging watercolors and focused on the brushstroke as a painting subject itself. The following decade is marked by “sombre reflections” expressed through powerful abstract works and his family-themed paintings.
Visitors will also see Richter’s experiments with chance painting and his tribute to composer John Cage in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as well as his glass works and digitally generated Strip images from 2009 onward. More comprehensive insights into the exhibition’s themes and highlights can be found in coverage by The Art Newspaper.
The Broader Cultural and Market Impact
This exhibition underscores Richter’s stature not only as a painter but as an artist who continuously investigates the boundaries of image-making. His work’s relevance is echoed in the art market, where his paintings consistently achieve high auction prices. The Fondation Louis Vuitton previously showcased Richter’s work during its inaugural exhibition in 2014, and this latest retrospective greatly expands that presentation, reinforcing the museum’s role in honoring seminal artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. The LVMH news release provides additional context on the foundation’s commitment to major monographic exhibitions like this one LVMH News.
FAQ
Q1: When and where is the Gerhard Richter retrospective taking place?
A1: The exhibition is at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris from October 17, 2025, to March 2, 2026.
Q2: How many works does the exhibition feature?
A2: It includes approximately 270 works spanning 1962 to 2024 across multiple media.
Q3: Who curated the exhibition?
A3: The show is co-curated by Dieter Schwarz and Nicholas Serota.
Q4: What are some highlighted series or works?
A4: Highlights include the October 18, 1977 series and various works exploring abstraction and chance.
Q5: Where can I find more information?
A5: Visit the Fondation Louis Vuitton site, David Zwirner’s page, and The Art Newspaper for full details.
This retrospective represents a rare opportunity to engage profoundly with Gerhard Richter’s multifaceted practice, reaffirming his lasting influence on contemporary art.