Sotheby's is delighted to announce that its Contemporary Art Evening Auction in London on Friday, 12th October 2012 will be led by an abstract masterwork by Gerhard Richter. Fresh to the market, the artist's 1994 oil on canvas, Abstraktes Bild (809-4), is estimated at £9-12 million ($14.1-18.8 million) and comes from the collection of Eric Clapton.
Produced as part of a concise series of four works numbered 809 in Richter's Catalogue Raisonné, monumentally scaled and richly chromatic Abstraktes Bild (809-4) ranks alongside the very highest tier of Richter Abstracts housed in museums internationally.
Discussing the sale of this work, Alex Branczik, Sotheby's Senior Director of Contemporary Art, said: "We are delighted to have the opportunity to offer this exceptional work in our Evening Sale of Contemporary Art in October. 'Abstraktes Bild' is one of the great abstract masterpieces by Gerhard Richter and its appearance on the market presents collectors with the unique opportunity to acquire an outstanding work by one of the greatest living painters."