Schwarz, Rot, Gold II 1998

Gerhard Richter’s “Schwarz, Rot, Gold II” presents us with bold vertical bands of black, red, and gold – the colors of the German flag. This flag, first adopted in 1919 by the Weimar Republic, carries a weight of historical meaning. Consider how these colors have appeared throughout history. Black, red, and gold were the colors of the Holy Roman Empire. We see a resurgence of these colors in the uniforms of soldiers during the Napoleonic Wars, a symbol of resistance and national unity. Yet, after the Second World War, these colors became a focal point for German identity. Richter, born in Germany in 1932, lived through many of Germany's most transformative and destructive periods. In the arrangement and presentation of these colors, one might find collective memory stirring within the German subconscious, a symbolic expression of national identity, fraught with layers of history and emotion. The cyclical progression of these colors showcases how symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings through time.