Gerhard Richter's Early Mural Partially Unveiled After 40 Years

The partial restoration of 'Lebensfreude' at the Deutsches Hygiene Museum reveals a hidden chapter of the artist's early career and DDR history.

The mural 'Lebensfreude,' created by Gerhard Richter in 1956 as a diploma project, has been partially uncovered at the Deutsches Hygiene Museum in Dresden.
Painted over in 1979 for allegedly lacking artistic significance, the 63-square-meter mural was restored as part of a public project during a DDR history exhibition.
The €220,000 restoration project was funded by the Deutsches Hygiene Museum Foundation, the Wüstenrot Foundation, and the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden.
Richter, now 93 and living in Cologne, approved the partial restoration after opposing earlier uncovering efforts in 1994.
The restoration highlights Richter's early artistic development and initiates a broader exploration of the mural's historical and cultural significance.