Pleasure #162 (2001) Info

Critics often describe Richter’s process as "un-painting"—a cycle of building up and then violently scraping away, creating a field where every brushstroke is both a creation and a deletion. Why "Pleasure" Matters

While some works from this era lean into "toxic" oranges and artificial yellows, others maintain the cool, skeptical grays for which Richter is famous. Pleasure #162 (2001)

The year 2001 was a pivotal moment for Richter’s legacy. It preceded his massive retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) , which opened in early 2002. The paintings produced in 2001, often numbered under his Abstraktes Bild (Abstract Painting) catalogue raisonné (such as the 873 series), showcase a seasoned artist at the height of his powers. The Visual Language of 2001 It preceded his massive retrospective at The Museum

Gerhard Richter, 873-7 Abstraktes Bild, 2001 | Marian Goodman 55 1/8 x 55 1/8 in. Marian Goodman Gallery Gerhard Richter | Paris | October 20—December 20, 2025 Marian Goodman Gallery Gerhard Richter | Paris |

If you want to see these masterpieces in person, Richter’s work from this period is frequently featured at major galleries like David Zwirner and the Marian Goodman Gallery . Whether they are smoldering with passion or coolly detached, Richter’s 2001 abstractions remain a testament to the idea that painting is never truly "finished"—it is only ever a captured moment of transformation.