Onkel Rudi (Uncle Rudi)
Onkel Rudi (Uncle Rudi)
Signed Print
Gerhard Richter
Price data unavailable
This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
There aren’t enough data points on this work for a comprehensive result. Please speak to a specialist by making an enquiry.
Medium: Photographic print
Format: Signed Print
Year: 2000
Size: H 86cm x W 49cm
Edition size: 80
Signed: Yes
MyPortfolio
Your colletion tracked in realtime.
Build your portfolio, manage valuations, view return against your collection and watch works you're looking for.
Track auction value trend
The value of Gerhard Richter's Onkel Rudi (Uncle Rudi) (signed) is estimated to be worth between £15,000 and £23,000. Over the past five years, the hammer price ranges from £13,419 in July 2020 to £13,832 in May 2020. This photographic print has shown consistent value growth. This work has an impressive auction history, having been sold 20 times at auction since its first auction sale in November 2002. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 80.
Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Artwork | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sotheby's London - United Kingdom | Onkel Rudi (Uncle Rudi) - Signed Print | ||||
| Sotheby's London - United Kingdom | Onkel Rudi (Uncle Rudi) - Signed Print | ||||
| Sotheby's London - United Kingdom | Onkel Rudi (Uncle Rudi) - Signed Print | ||||
| Sotheby's London - United Kingdom | Onkel Rudi (Uncle Rudi) - Signed Print | ||||
| Sotheby's London - United Kingdom | Onkel Rudi (Uncle Rudi) - Signed Print | ||||
| Sotheby's London - United Kingdom | Onkel Rudi (Uncle Rudi) - Signed Print | ||||
| July 2020 | Phillips New York - United States | Onkel Rudi (Uncle Rudi) - Signed Print |
Meaning & Analysis
Onkel Rudi (Uncle Rudi) is a signed photographic print by an internationally acclaimed German painter Gerhard Richter. Created in 2000, the artwork displays Richter’s innovative way of thinking about portraiture as well as the relationship between painting and photography.
The artwork depicts Richter’s uncle, Rudi (Rudolf) Schönfelder, in full Wehrmacht dress uniform, in front of what looks like a concrete wall. Richter’s uncle was killed on the Western front in 1944, when Richter was twelve. The artwork engages with the themes of family and memory while displaying Richter’s signature technique of blurring the image by dragging a dry brush over the wet paint.
The artwork is a classic example of how Richter works with found imagery such as family snapshots and applies the paint directly to the photographic surface. The artist commented in this context: “It became clear to me that, although absurd and epigonic, copying a photo helped me to convey something new. It was of particular importance to me to disassociate myself from art made in the service of leftist politics… It was important that the viewer was not hit with some message or other in my works… For me it wasn’t at all about politics or family but rather about the banality and ambiguity of the source material.”
