Learn more about the artists, places, and themes in this exhibition.

Vesuvius

History

Four photographs of fields with trees, the bottom two almost identical to the painting.

Atlas, 449, 1986, Gerhard Richter, German, b. 1932, 20.35 x 26.25 in., © Gerhard Richter 2016

This painting is based on photos that are part of artist Gerhard Richter’s Atlas exhibition, a collection of his own and archival photos and clippings that have inspired many of his artworks.

Watch this video to hear the artist describe his process of taking and collecting photos to use them for his paintings.