Gerhard Richter (1932) - Betty (Tate Poster) 1991

Gerhard Richter: Betty (Tate Poster), 1991

There are few contemporary art images as instantly recognizable as Gerhard Richter’s “Betty.” The young woman in a red-and-white patterned bathrobe, turning away from the viewer at the last moment and gazing into the darkness, has become one of Richter’s key images and a landmark in German painting after 1945. This sheet offers the rare chance to own this motif with the artist’s own signature.

A sheet with history
In 1991, the Tate Gallery in London devoted a major retrospective to Gerhard Richter (October 30, 1991 to January 12, 1992), issued in association with the Anthony d’Offay Gallery. On this occasion, “Betty” appeared as the exhibition poster in a total edition of 500 copies. About 200 of them were pasted up in London and are now lost, around 300 were sold in the museum shop. Only a very small portion, ca. 50 copies, was personally signed by Gerhard Richter on the evening of the opening.

The motif
Richter painted “Betty” in 1988 after a photograph he had taken ten years earlier of his then eleven-year-old daughter. In the same year he created his cycle “18 October 1977”; “Betty” thus belongs to the phase in which Richter brought photorealism to its apex. The image defies what a portrait promises: we see everything—hair, fabric, light—except the face. The averted figure, echoing the Rückenfigur (rear-figure) tradition of German Romanticism, becomes for Richter a question about seeing itself. The original painting (oil on canvas, 102 x 72 cm, WVZ 663 5) is today in the collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum.

It is precisely in lithography that the motif reveals its special logic: Richter painted a photograph, and the painting here returns to being a printed image. Photography, painting, and reproduction converge in one sheet; this exact play with the medium is at the center of his work.

Market placement
Besides this signed poster, there is an independent edition “Betty” from 1991 (Editions CR 75), limited to 25 copies, which has fetched six-figure prices at international auctions. The signed Tate sheet therefore represents the most accessible way to possess “Betty” in Richter’s own hand. Signed copies appear only sporadically on the market.

Signatures
In the lower right, text reads “Richter 1991”
Additionally, below the image on the white margin, “Richter”
Close-up details are supplied.

Technique and dimensions
Color offset on smooth, coated offset paper.
Sheet size: ca. 84 x 59.3 cm
Image: ca. 77.5 x 54.5 cm
In the lower center, typographic designation “GERHARD RICHTER: BETTY, 1988.”
Unmatted; the sheet has been properly removed from its frame and can be reframed according to your preferences.

Provenance
Private collection, Germany

Certificate
The work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

Condition
Overall good condition. The figure displays strong, vibrant colors; the red bathrobe and skin tones are fresh and unworn. In the deep black background there are isolated rubs and abrasions. The dark, coated area is, in this sheet, especially sensitive due to the material; such traces are found on most preserved copies and are to be expected for a 1991 exhibition poster. In the white margin, minimal handling marks. Please review the detail photos—we have attempted to photograph the work under different lighting.

Shipping
Insured art shipping with acid-free interleaving to protect the sensitive black area. International shipping available. We ensure professional packaging (preferably by MBE).

Note
Please bid only if you intend to acquire the sheet seriously. Every bid is binding and obligates timely payment after the hammer via Catawiki. The condition is described in detail and documented by close-up photos, including the wear on the black image background. Please carefully inspect all photos before placing your bid and feel free to ask questions in advance; we will answer promptly and, if requested, send additional images.