Gerhard Richter is best known for constantly reinventing his own style, never settling into one signature look. His work spans blurry, photo-based paintings, stark grey monochromes, and huge abstract canvases made by dragging paint across the surface with a giant squeegee.

Key bodies of work include 18 October 1977 (paintings based on news photos of the Red Army Faction), the Candle and Skull still lifes, his Abstraktes Bild series, and the Birkenau cycle referencing Holocaust photographs. He also designed the stained-glass window at Cologne Cathedral.