Retrospective show of an internationally celebrated artist ‘

Gerhard Richter was one of the first German artists to reflect on the history of National Socialism, creating paintings of family members who had been members, as well as victims of, the Nazi party. Continuing his historical interest, he produced the 15-part work, a sequence of black and white paintings based on images of the Baader Meinhof group.

The artist has continued to respond to significant moments in history throughout his career; the final room of the exhibition includes September 2005, a painting of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York in 2001. Spanning nearly five decades, and coinciding with his 80th birthday, a major retrospective exhibition that groups together significant moments of his remarkable career takes place at the Tate Modern in London.

Since the 1960s, Gerhard Richter has immersed himself in a rich and varied exploration of painting. Gerhard Richter: Panorama highlights the full extent of the artist's work, which has encompassed a diverse range of techniques and ideas. It includes realist paintings based on photographs, colourful gestural abstractions such as the squeegee paintings, portraits, subtle landscapes and history paintings. Lovers of the epic beauty of Rothko, Twombly and Hodgkin will have much to enjoy, as will those who appreciate striking portraiture or the crystal-clear precision of photorealism.

Released on eve of the occasion of the retrospective exhibition, a document covering his career has been unveiled. While many previous books have focused on one aspect of Gerhard Richter's oeuvre, this stunningly illustrated survey encompasses the entire range of his works, including photo-paintings, abstracts, land and seascapes, portraits, glass and mirror works, drawings and photographs.

An array of international critics and curators examine specific periods of the artist's career, bringing fresh perspectives to bear and placing individual works in the context of world events. With over 300 illustrations and a first-person interview, it’s a comprehensive survey of his monumental achievements.

Gerhard Richter: Panorama is organised by Tate Modern in association with Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin and Centre Pompidou, Paris.