Untitled [Betty with her Grandmother] 1967

Curator: Today we're looking at Gerhard Richter's "Untitled [Betty with her Grandmother]", a pencil drawing from 1967 housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: There's such a tentative, fleeting quality to the line work, a quiet fragility. Curator: Indeed. Richter’s use of pencil creates a sense of immediacy, highlighting the artistic process itself. The composition, anchored by the figures and architectural elements, engages with structure through light and shadow. Editor: It also feels like an artifact of everyday life, the casual arrangement speaking to accessibility. The quick sketch allows viewers a sense of the artist's own touch. It's all in the materials and how they come together. Curator: Absolutely, and by considering the formal elements—line, tone, composition—we see a dialogue unfold between representation and abstraction. Editor: I've gained such appreciation for Richter's blending of these qualities after this discussion. Curator: And seeing how Richter uses formalism to question assumptions of the everyday is inspiring.