Pleasure #162 (2001) -

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

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)

Richter’s 2001 abstractions are characterized by their dense, multi-layered surfaces. Using a homemade —a large wooden plank with a rubber edge—Richter would drag wet oil paint across the canvas, partially obscuring the layers beneath while revealing unexpected "accidents" of color and texture. Gerhard Richter, 873-7 Abstraktes Bild, 2001 | Marian

In the world of contemporary art, few names command as much reverence as . By the time 2001 arrived, Richter was already a titan of both photo-realism and abstraction. However, his work from this specific year represents a peak in his "squeegee" technique—a method that famously balances high-precision control with the beauty of pure chance. A Year of Artistic Transition Using a homemade —a large wooden plank with

Many of the 2001 works were executed on aluminum or alu dibond rather than traditional canvas, giving the paint a distinct, luminous slickness.

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.