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Lot Essay
A star of Andy Warhol's movie 'Chelsea Girls', Brigid Berlin (aka Brigid Polk) was one of the artist's closest and most conspiratorial friends at his Factory during its heydey in the late 1960s and was often described as 'Warhol's Muse'. In 1969, she gained particular notoriety after having claimed to have produced all of Warhol's recent work herself. Although Warhol originally supported her claim, revelling in her sense of humour, Berlin was soon forced to make a public retraction of her statement after collectors of Warhol's works began putting pressure on the artist and his dealers.
Gerhard Richter met Brigid Berlin in 1971 during an exhibition of her work at the Heiner Friedrich Galerie in Munich. As a result of their encounter, a number of colour polaroids of Berlin were shot, some of them with images by Richter in the background. Richter then used these as the basis for a series of six photo-realist paintings of Polk.
In this painting, as in two others, Richter portrayed the nude Berlin in front of his large pornographic painting of 1967 'Badende' (The Bathers). By blurring the paint in his characteristic manner, Richter drained the pornographic image in the background of its erotic qualities, only to transfer these onto the sensual portrait of Brigid Berlin.
Gerhard Richter met Brigid Berlin in 1971 during an exhibition of her work at the Heiner Friedrich Galerie in Munich. As a result of their encounter, a number of colour polaroids of Berlin were shot, some of them with images by Richter in the background. Richter then used these as the basis for a series of six photo-realist paintings of Polk.
In this painting, as in two others, Richter portrayed the nude Berlin in front of his large pornographic painting of 1967 'Badende' (The Bathers). By blurring the paint in his characteristic manner, Richter drained the pornographic image in the background of its erotic qualities, only to transfer these onto the sensual portrait of Brigid Berlin.