Domecke II (Cathedral Corner)
Signed Print

Made after the same painting of Cologne Cathedral as close cousin Domecke I (Cathedral Corner), this print is a standout example of Richter’s unmistakable painterly style and photorealistic treatment of the built environment. Not unlike Elisabeth II (1966), Besetztes Haus (Squatter’s House) (1990) and Orchid II (1998), here Richter uses small, carefully applied areas of colour to offer an impressionistic portrayal of his subject matter which, upon closer inspection, is in fact saturated with stunning detail. Speaking to the artist’s skill as a painter, this work is an ode to his adoptive home of Cologne in Western Germany. This particular corner of the Kölner Dom, or Cologne Cathedral, is adjacent to the Museum Ludwig - a large-scale collection of Contemporary Art where Richter’s work has been exhibited many times.

Domecke II (Cathedral Corner) provides insight into Richter’s relationship to Cologne - his adoptive home city. In 2007, Richter made headlines across Germany and the world when a new stained-glass window, which he designed, was unveiled at Cologne Cathedral. This new window was to replace an original  This commission saw Richter avoid any explicitly religious themes, opting rather for a grid-like formation of 11,500 ‘pixels’, designed to represent ‘non-representational nature of the Divine’. The commission caused great controversy, with some churchgoers, cathedral staff, and critics denouncing the work as too far removed from religion. In the majority, the work was well received, however.