Gerhard Richter: 4 Decades

The Famous Painter's Early Work

In 2002, the Museum of Modern Art in New York held the first major retrospective of Gerhard Richter's work in the America. Curator Robert Storr and the artist selected 188 paintings for the show.

This film presents a rare opportunity to see his early work which began after his departure in 1961 from East Germany, where artists struggled for the freedom to express themselves. His early work focused freely on political issues of Western Germany as well as the Third Reich. The ensuing dialogue reveals Richter's motivations, approach and personality. He is now considered "Europe's greatest modern painter."