‘Rhein II’ (photograph)
Rhein II is the world's most valuable image. Andreas Gursky, a German visual artist, created this in 1999. This snapshot depicts a man's true affinity with nature. Gursky's artwork is characterized by its simplicity, which demonstrates a high level of confidence in its efficiency.
The Rhine II exemplifies Gursky's abstract tendencies in his work. Throughout his career, he has created images that are more formal and conceptually simple, bringing them closer to the abstract art tradition. Untitled I, 1993 is a close-up of a grey monochrome artwork that resembles an industrial carpet. The grid-like ceiling in Brasil, General Assembly I, 1994 resembles simple items. The Rhine II, like these prior pictures, focuses on textures; the contrasts between the river's dazzling gloss, the smeared softness of the clouds, the rich carpet of the verges, and the hard matte path give the image a sensual feel.
The Rhine, 1996, is a reworking of an older shot. The previous work features a more evenly grey sky and a slightly higher and flatter viewpoint. Both photographs have been "festooned with critic's invocations of Barnett Newman," according to Peter Galassi, Chief Curator of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art (Peter Galassi, 'Gursky's World,' Andreas Gursky, p.41). Newman (1905-1970) used vertical compositions with contrasting colored straight lines or zips disturbing the monochrome surface of his works (see Adam, 1951-2, Tate T01091). The photos in Gursky's series resemble horizontal versions of Newman paintings.
Cost: 4.3 million USD
