Why is the Cage Grid series so important?

In the Cage Grid series, we are party to Richter’s respect of accident, chance, and non-directionality. Central features of the artist’s unorthodox creative process, which here employs large ‘squeegees’ as means to drag different layers of paint across canvas, imbue the Cage Grid prints with a greater sense of Richter’s unique artistic philosophy. Showcasing details from a painting exhibited at the 2007 Venice Biennale, the series also speaks to Richter’s superstar status in the world of contemporary art.

How do I buy a Cage Grid series print?

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of buying work by Gerhard Richter is by using us to reach a seller. MyArtBroker is a curated site, meaning we feature artists that our collectors say they want. You can find Gerhard Richter art for sale here. You’ll need to create a free account to buy or sell with us.

How can I sell my Cage Grid series print?

If you're looking to sell art by Gerhard Richter, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.

Cage Grid by Gerhard Richter Meaning, Analysis & Auction Results

Cage
Grid

Cage Grid is a 2011 series by acclaimed German artist, Gerhard Richter. The print series sees Richter’s 2006 painting, Cage 6 [CR: 897-6], divided into a grid-like assortment of 16 giclée prints, offering an up-close view of Richter’s deconstructive approach, and the affinity between the former and Cage’s atonal, non-musical composition.

Artwork	Auction Date	Auction House	Return to Seller	Hammer Price	Buyer Paid
Cage Grid I (complete set) Gerhard Richter Signed Print £370,000-£550,000 $780,000-$1,150,000 $690,000-$1,030,000 ¥3,640,000-¥5,410,000 €430,000-€640,000 $3,980,000-$5,920,000 ¥73,460,000-¥109,190,000 $510,000-$750,000	18 Nov 2022	Christie's New York	£357,000	£420,000	£530,000
Cage Grid I Single Part A Gerhard Richter Signed Print £60,000-£90,000 $130,000-$190,000 $110,000-$170,000 ¥580,000-¥870,000 €70,000-€100,000 $630,000-$950,000 ¥11,880,000-¥17,820,000 $80,000-$120,000	6 Mar 2019	Phillips London	£42,500	£50,000	£70,000
Cage Grid I Single Part H Gerhard Richter Signed Print £45,000-£70,000 $90,000-$150,000 $80,000-$130,000 ¥430,000-¥680,000 €50,000-€80,000 $470,000-$740,000 ¥8,960,000-¥13,940,000 $60,000-$90,000	7 Oct 2017	Christie's London	£42,500	£50,000	£70,000
Cage Grid I Single Part O Gerhard Richter Signed Print £45,000-£70,000 $90,000-$150,000 $80,000-$130,000 ¥430,000-¥670,000 €50,000-€80,000 $470,000-$730,000 ¥8,960,000-¥13,930,000 $60,000-$90,000	29 Jun 2017	Phillips London	£42,500	£50,000	£70,000
Cage Grid I Single Part J Gerhard Richter Signed Print £50,000-£80,000 $100,000-$170,000 $90,000-$150,000 ¥480,000-¥770,000 €60,000-€90,000 $510,000-$820,000 ¥9,460,000-¥15,130,000 $70,000-$110,000	17 Oct 2015	Christie's London	£59,500	£70,000	£90,000
Cage Grid I Single Part C Gerhard Richter Signed Print £70,000-£110,000 $150,000-$230,000 $130,000-$200,000 ¥680,000-¥1,070,000 €80,000-€130,000 $720,000-$1,140,000 ¥13,290,000-¥20,880,000 $90,000-$150,000	16 Oct 2015	Sotheby's London	£76,500	£90,000	£120,000
Cage Grid I Single Part L Gerhard Richter Signed Print £30,000-£45,000 $60,000-$90,000 $60,000-$80,000 ¥290,000-¥430,000 €35,000-€50,000 $320,000-$470,000 ¥5,960,000-¥8,950,000 $40,000-$60,000	2 Jul 2014	Christie's London	£85,000	£100,000	£130,000
Cage Grid I Single Part E Gerhard Richter Signed Print £80,000-£120,000 $160,000-$250,000 $150,000-$220,000 ¥780,000-¥1,160,000 €90,000-€140,000 $850,000-$1,270,000 ¥15,830,000-¥23,740,000 $110,000-$160,000	14 Feb 2014	Christie's London	£68,000	£80,000	£110,000

Artwork

Auction
Date

Auction
House

Return to
Seller

Hammer
Price

Buyer
Paid

Cage Grid I (complete set)

Gerhard Richter

Signed Print

£370,000-£550,000

$780,000-$1,150,000

$690,000-$1,030,000

¥3,640,000-¥5,410,000

€430,000-€640,000

$3,980,000-$5,920,000

¥73,460,000-¥109,190,000

$510,000-$750,000

18 Nov 2022

Christie's New York

£357,000

£420,000

£530,000

Cage Grid I Single Part A

Gerhard Richter

Signed Print

£60,000-£90,000

$130,000-$190,000

$110,000-$170,000

¥580,000-¥870,000

€70,000-€100,000

$630,000-$950,000

¥11,880,000-¥17,820,000

$80,000-$120,000

6 Mar 2019

Phillips London

£42,500

£50,000

£70,000

Cage Grid I Single Part H

Gerhard Richter

Signed Print

£45,000-£70,000

$90,000-$150,000

$80,000-$130,000

¥430,000-¥680,000

€50,000-€80,000

$470,000-$740,000

¥8,960,000-¥13,940,000

$60,000-$90,000

7 Oct 2017

Christie's London

£42,500

£50,000

£70,000

Cage Grid I Single Part O

Gerhard Richter

Signed Print

£45,000-£70,000

$90,000-$150,000

$80,000-$130,000

¥430,000-¥670,000

€50,000-€80,000

$470,000-$730,000

¥8,960,000-¥13,930,000

$60,000-$90,000

29 Jun 2017

Phillips London

£42,500

£50,000

£70,000

Cage Grid I Single Part J

Gerhard Richter

Signed Print

£50,000-£80,000

$100,000-$170,000

$90,000-$150,000

¥480,000-¥770,000

€60,000-€90,000

$510,000-$820,000

¥9,460,000-¥15,130,000

$70,000-$110,000

17 Oct 2015

Christie's London

£59,500

£70,000

£90,000

Cage Grid I Single Part C

Gerhard Richter

Signed Print

£70,000-£110,000

$150,000-$230,000

$130,000-$200,000

¥680,000-¥1,070,000

€80,000-€130,000

$720,000-$1,140,000

¥13,290,000-¥20,880,000

$90,000-$150,000

16 Oct 2015

Sotheby's London

£76,500

£90,000

£120,000

Cage Grid I Single Part L

Gerhard Richter

Signed Print

£30,000-£45,000

$60,000-$90,000

$60,000-$80,000

¥290,000-¥430,000

€35,000-€50,000

$320,000-$470,000

¥5,960,000-¥8,950,000

$40,000-$60,000

2 Jul 2014

Christie's London

£85,000

£100,000

£130,000

Cage Grid I Single Part E

Gerhard Richter

Signed Print

£80,000-£120,000

$160,000-$250,000

$150,000-$220,000

¥780,000-¥1,160,000

€90,000-€140,000

$850,000-$1,270,000

¥15,830,000-¥23,740,000

$110,000-$160,000

14 Feb 2014

Christie's London

£68,000

£80,000

£110,000

Meaning & Analysis

Cage Grid is a 2011 series by acclaimed German artist, Gerhard Richter. Comprising a grid-like assortment of 16 multicoloured giclée prints after Richter’s 2006 painting, Cage 6 [CR: 897-6], the series showcases the artist’s unique approach to abstraction. Richter's oeuvre has explored a multitude of subjects and themes ranging from German identity and nationhood to world history, the art historical canon, and family relationships. Born in the city of Dresden in 1932, Richter fled to West Germany from the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in 1961, just several months before the construction of the Berlin Wall. Along with the Cage f.ff series (2011-2015), Cage Grid was inspired by the practices of American composer, artist, and avant-gardist, John Cage, to whom Richter was first exposed whilst a student at the Düsseldorf Academy in the late 1960s.

Cage Grid (2011) divides one painting into 16 squares, inviting us to take a closer look at the intricacies of Richter’s deconstructive approach. Each of the individual squares speaks to the variance and intensity of colour present throughout the larger work. In Cage Grid Single Part O (2011), for example, whites, greys, greens, and yellows come together to form a dynamic assemblage of an almost violent quality. In Cage Grid Single Part A (2011) and Cage Grid Single Part H (2011), the green and yellow ends of the colour spectrum are explored in greater detail, producing a similar sense of foreboding. The link between these works and the destructive nature of war has been hailed by American curator and cultural critic Robert Storr, who has argued that they evoke images of the Israeli-Lebanese conflict, which took place in the same year.

Famed for his use of non-musical instruments and atonal sound, John Cage has special resonance for Richter. Both creatives are well-known for their interest in deconstructing the rigid boundaries of established methodologies. In Richter’s case, he has sought constantly to navigate – and tear down – the interface between abstraction and naturalism, painting and the photograph; in Cage’s compositional practice, which has been known to place emphasis on incidental sound and even silence, the essence of the musical is constantly questioned by its non-musical counterpart.

In the Cage Grid series, we are party to Richter’s respect of accident, chance, and non-directionality. Central features of the artist’s unorthodox creative process, which here employs large ‘squeegees’ as means to drag different layers of paint across canvas, imbue the Cage Grid prints with a greater sense of Richter’s unique artistic philosophy. Showcasing details from a painting exhibited at the 2007 Venice Biennale, the series also speaks to Richter’s superstar status in the world of contemporary art.
If you're looking to sell art by Gerhard Richter, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.