A major retrospective of German artist Gerhard Richter, co-curated by former Tate director Nicholas Serota, will open at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris from 17 October 2025 to 2 March 2026. The exhibition features 270 works spanning 1962 to 2024, including paintings, drawings, watercolours, overpainted photographs, glass works, and digitally generated Strip images. It is organized chronologically, with sections devoted to Richter's early photo-based works, his 1972 Venice Biennale pieces, abstract explorations, sombre reflections including the October 18, 1977 series, and his later experiments beyond painting. Key loans come from the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate, the Hirshhorn Museum, and Museum Ludwig, Cologne, alongside works from the Fondation's own collection.
This exhibition matters because it is the most comprehensive Richter retrospective ever staged, both in scale and chronological scope, reaffirming his status as one of the most influential living artists. The involvement of Nicholas Serota, a leading figure in the art world who previously organized Richter's 2011 Tate Modern show, adds curatorial weight. The show continues Fondation Louis Vuitton's track record of blockbuster monographic exhibitions devoted to 20th- and 21st-century masters. Richter's enduring market strength is underscored by his auction record of £30.4 million for Abstraktes Bild (1986), sold at Sotheby's in 2015.