Rhein II
Rhein II is a colour photograph made by German visual artist Andreas Gursky in 1999.[2] In the image, a river (the Lower Rhine) flows horizontally across the field of view, between flat green fields, under an overcast sky.[3] Extraneous details such as dog walkers and a factory building were removed by the artist using digital editing.[4]
| Rhein II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Andreas Gursky |
| Year | 1999 |
| Type | Photograph |
| Medium | C-print mounted to acrylic glass |
| Dimensions | 190 cm × 360 cm (73 in × 143 in); [1] |
| Owner | Anonymous |
In 2011, a print was auctioned for $4.3 million (then £2.7m), making it the most expensive photograph ever sold.
Production
The photograph was produced as the second (and largest) of a set of six depicting the river Rhine.[2] In the image, the Lower Rhine flows horizontally across the field of view, between flat green fields, under an overcast sky.[3] It was taken near Düsseldorf, at a location Gursky had previously photographed in 1996.[5] Dissatisfied with his earlier image, Gursky "thought about whether I ought perhaps to change my viewpoint ... In the end I decided to digitalise the pictures and leave out the elements that bothered me".[5]
Extraneous details such as dog walkers and a factory building were removed by the artist using digital editing.[4] Justifying this manipulation of the image, Gursky said "Paradoxically, this view of the Rhine cannot be obtained in situ, a fictitious construction was required to provide an accurate image of a modern river."[6] Gursky produced a very large chromogenic colour print of the photograph, mounted it onto acrylic glass, and then placed it in a frame.[6] The image itself measures 73 by 143 inches (190 cm × 360 cm), while the frame measures 81 by 151 inches (210 cm × 380 cm).[1]
Reception and sale
The print was originally acquired by the Galerie Monika Sprüth in Cologne, and subsequently bought by an anonymous German collector.[1] The collector sold the print by auction at Christie's New York on 8 November 2011, who estimated it would fetch a price of $2.5–3.5m.[1] It actually sold for $4,338,500[1] (then about £2.7m); the identity of the buyer has not been revealed.[4]
The work has been described by arts writer Florence Waters in The Daily Telegraph as a "vibrant, beautiful and memorable – I should say unforgettable – contemporary twist on [...] the romantic landscape"[7] and by journalist Maev Kennedy in The Guardian as "a sludgy image of the grey Rhine under grey skies".[4]
Public collections
Gursky's fifth print of the photograph, which is identical but slightly smaller at 156.4 cm × 308.3 cm (61.6 in × 121.4 in), was acquired in 2000 by Tate, a British group of art museums.[5] It remains in their collection but is not on public display.[5]
See also
References
- "Sale 2480 / Lot 44". Christie's. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- "Andreas Gursky's Rhein II sets photo record". BBC News. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- Skarda, Erin (11 November 2011). "And Here's the Most Expensive Photograph in the World". Time. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- Kennedy, Maev (11 November 2011). "Andreas Gursky's Rhine II photograph sells for $4.3m". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- Taylor, Rachel (February 2004). "'The Rhine II', Andreas Gursky, 1999". Tate. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- Waters, Florence (11 November 2011). "Photograph by Andreas Gursky breaks auction record". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- Waters, Florence (11 November 2011). "Why is Andreas Gursky's Rhine II the most expensive photograph?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 November 2011.