Vierwaldstätter See 1969

Gerhard Richter made this atmospheric painting of Vierwaldstätter See without a date, but you can see he’s really thinking through process. The way Richter builds up the surface with thin layers of paint, blurring and softening the edges, creates an almost dreamlike quality. Look at the way the light hits the water, how it shimmers and reflects. It’s not quite photorealism, but it’s not abstract either. There's a tension between representation and abstraction that keeps the eye moving, searching for a fixed point, which never quite arrives. It’s so muted, almost monochrome, which makes the act of looking a very contemplative experience. I’m reminded of the tonalist paintings of James McNeill Whistler, where atmosphere and mood take precedence over detail, and everything is up for grabs. In painting, as in life, certainty is overrated.