Gerhard Richter: A Landmark Retrospective At Fondation Louis Vuitton

From October 17, 2025 to March 2, 2026, the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris will dedicate its entire galleries to a monumental retrospective of Gerhard Richter, one of the most influential contemporary artists of our time.

A Major Cultural Event in Paris

This autumn, Fondation Louis Vuitton continues its legacy of presenting world-class monographic exhibitions by unveiling the most comprehensive retrospective ever devoted to Gerhard Richter.

Following the success of past shows celebrating icons such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Joan Mitchell, Mark Rothko, and David Hockney, the Paris institution now turns its gaze to an artist whose oeuvre has shaped the history of postwar art.

Spanning more than six decades, this exhibition brings together over 270 works from 1962 to 2024, including oil paintings, glass and steel sculptures, drawings, watercolors, and overpainted photographs.

Gerhard Richter: A Singular Vision

Born in Dresden in 1932, Gerhard Richter is celebrated as a master of both abstraction and figuration. Since fleeing East Germany in 1961, he has continuously challenged the boundaries of painting, experimenting with techniques that range from his iconic blur to monumental abstractions created with a squeegee.

His work confronts history and memory while reinterpreting classical genres such as portraiture, still life, and landscape through a modern lens. From early photo-based paintings to the Birkenau cycle, Richter’s oeuvre invites viewers into a dialogue between intimacy, politics, and collective memory.

Curated by World-Renowned Experts

The exhibition itinerary, conceived by Dieter Schwarz (former Director of Kunstmuseum Winterthur) and Sir Nicholas Serota (former Director of Tate, Chair of Arts Council England), unfolds chronologically. Each decade of Richter’s production is highlighted, from the celebrated 48 Portraits of the 1972 Venice Biennale to the powerful October 18, 1977series, and from dazzling abstract canvases of the 1980s to the contemplative late works.

Key Highlights

    • Photo-Based Works (1960s): Including Uncle Rudi and Ema (Nude on a Staircase).
    • Venice Biennale 1972: The iconic 48 Portraits.
    • Abstractions of the 1980s: Vibrant canvases created with palette knives and squeegees.
    • Historical Reflection: The somber October 18, 1977 series, on loan from MoMA.
    • Homage to Music: The meditative Cage Paintings (2006).
    • Birkenau Cycle (2014): A profound confrontation with history.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Retrospective

Richter’s art resists easy categorization. His paintings, drawings, and sculptures reveal a constant negotiation between chance and control, beauty and melancholy, presence and erasure. This retrospective is not only the most complete overview of his career ever assembled, but also the first in Paris to include the Birkenau series, one of his most powerful and moving bodies of work.

As Suzanne Pagé, Artistic Director of Fondation Louis Vuitton, notes: “Gerhard Richter creates images that renew themselves endlessly, balancing beauty with emotional intensity, silence with gravity.”

Practical Information

    • Exhibition Dates: October 17, 2025 – March 2, 2026
    • Location: Fondation Louis Vuitton, 8 Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Bois de Boulogne, 75116 Paris
    • Opening Hours:
        ◦ Mon, Wed, Thu: 11am – 8pm
        ◦ Fri: 11am – 9pm (11pm first Fridays)
        ◦ Sat & Sun: 10am – 8pm
    • Tickets: Available at fondationlouisvuitton.fr