A special white canvas made by famous artist Robert Ryman will be sold at an auction in Berlin this week. The artwork, named General 52 x 52, is from 1970 and is worth over $1.5 million! The auction will take place at Ketterer Kunst on December 6 and 7.
At first, you might think it’s just a blank canvas, but there’s much more to it. Ryman used special paints called white enamel and enamelac that are usually meant for metal. This makes the artwork unique and makes you think about what art really is. Ryman, who died in 2019, was a self-taught artist known for his clean white art. His simple pieces often made people question what they think of as art.
Delicate Art That Needs Care
Even though it looks simple, General 52 x 52 is very sensitive. Because the white surface is delicate, it can’t be moved for viewing before the auction. If it’s even slightly damaged, it could lose a lot of its value. The auction house, Ketterer Kunst, stated that any small flaw could really hurt the artwork’s worth, which is why they won’t be moving it anywhere.
Art You Can Experience
Simone Wichmann from Ketterer Kunst talked about how Ryman’s art invites viewers to be part of the experience. She explained that “white is not always white.” It changes with light, movement, and how we see it. Viewing Ryman’s work makes you part of the artwork, transforming you into a creator. That’s a big part of Ryman’s minimalist style, where just looking at the piece is part of the art itself.
Ryman’s Impact on Minimalism
Even though Ryman’s art often sparked arguments, he also received a lot of praise and sold pieces for large amounts of money. His simple style, especially the use of white, made him an important person in the minimalist art movement after World War II. Ryman was self-taught and used to work as a security guard at the Museum of Modern Art in New York before becoming famous for his thought-provoking art.
The General 52 x 52 is one piece in a larger series called General, which includes 15 artworks that are all slightly different from each other. Some of his works are in major museums, like the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, and one was even shown in a big exhibit in Germany in 1972.
This auction continues a trend of exciting art pieces being sold that get people talking. Just last month, Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork—a banana duct-taped to a wall—was sold for $6.2 million at Art Basel Miami Beach. The buyer, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, even ate the banana shortly after buying it, sparking more discussion about what art really means.
As art sales keep pushing limits, Ryman’s General 52 x 52 offers yet another chance to think about art in new ways. The auction is set to keep discussions alive about how art changes in the 21st century.
