Abstract Painting No. 809-3 

Gerhard Richter created this striking abstract piece with paint, using bold colours and gestural marks. The most dominant symbol here is yellow, which has a long and varied history in art and culture. In many traditions, yellow is associated with the sun, enlightenment, and divinity. Consider the golden halos in Byzantine art, which signify spiritual illumination. Yet, yellow can also symbolize jealousy, deceit, and decay, seen in the medieval use of yellow to mark those deemed outsiders. Looking at Richter’s work, this duality evokes a powerful tension, engaging us on a subconscious level. The painting’s composition, dominated by turbulent strokes of yellow, captures the essence of human emotional states. It embodies a profound exploration of light and shadow, clarity and ambiguity. This artwork is not a representation of any specific subject, but an exploration of the cyclical progression of colour as it resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.