Pleasure #162 (2001) (Top 100 RECENT)

While some works from this era lean into "toxic" oranges and artificial yellows, others maintain the cool, skeptical grays for which Richter is famous.

The year 2001 was a pivotal moment for Richter’s legacy. It preceded his massive retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) , which opened in early 2002. The paintings produced in 2001, often numbered under his Abstraktes Bild (Abstract Painting) catalogue raisonné (such as the 873 series), showcase a seasoned artist at the height of his powers. The Visual Language of 2001 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. While some works from this era lean into

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. The paintings produced in 2001, often numbered under