Thomas Struth

Gallery Shimada, Yamaguchi
Private Collection
Sale: Christie’s, New York, Post-War and Contemporary Art, 12 November 2003, Lot 579
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Schirmer/Mosel, Eds., Thomas Struth: Museum Photographs, Munich 1993, p. 2, another example illustrated in colour
Exhibition Catalogue: Hamburg, Kunsthalle Hamburg, Thomas Struth - Museum Photographs, 1993-94, p.33, no. 2, another example illustrated in colour
Schirmer/Mosel, Eds., Thomas Struth: Museum Photographs, Munich 2005, p. 23, another example illustrated in colour
Schirmer/Mosel, Eds., Thomas Struth, Munich 2009, p. 36, another example illustrated in colour

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although there are fewer magenta undertones in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is evidence of minor wear to the extreme outer edges of the frame in isolated places, with an associated chip to the lower right corner tip.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Thomas Struth’s Louvre 3. Paris is equally captivating as the indiscernible paintings that the eight visitors in the photograph are patiently admiring. Hidden out of sight from the spectator, the photograph sets up an intriguing interplay of gazes between the viewer, the people in the image, the works in the museum, and of course the photograph itself. Not only does Struth obfuscate the traditional relationship between spectator and object, but also the hierarchy between painting and photography - which Struth, together with the other photographers of the Düsseldorf School, radically redefined in the 1990s.

The concept of photographing historical works of art in their museological context originated when the artist portrayed art-historian Giles Robertson in 1987. As Struth remarked, “this suggested to me the potential for including a marriage of a contemporary moment and a historical moment in one photographic plane” (Thomas Struth quoted in: Anette Kruszynski et. al., Thomas Struth, Photographs 1978-2010, 2010, p. 198).  When the artist’s work began to be collected and exhibited by museums throughout Europe two years later, he found himself visiting, and consequently photographing many historical places, resulting in what was to become one of the most iconic series in contemporary photography.

In an age when photography was not yet universally accepted as an autonomous form of art, the large-scale images of the Düsseldorf School challenged the traditional hierarchy of mediums, by taking on the same format as paintings and engaging in a direct dialogue. Thomas Struth’s Museum Photographs explicitly address these issues in a self-reflective format that extends the scope of the work well beyond the immediate surface of the image. Whereas paintings were traditionally seen as a window into another world, Struth forces us to take a step in the opposite direction and to confront our own position with respect to the photograph. Faced with the familiarity of Struth’s imposing images, the presence of people in front of paintings directly addresses our own position in front of the photograph, forcing us to recognise the existence of a similar set-up in our own immediate space.

Thomas Struth’s masterful duplication of the gaze, in which the spectator’s own gaze is simultaneously represented and exposed through the photograph, marks a new-found territory that decisively sets photography apart from painting, yet definitively propels it into the sphere of art. Elegantly unifying past tradition and contemporary modes of production, Louvre 3. Paris stands as a superb testimony to the achievements of the artist, making it an undoubtedly distinguished work in the recent history of photography, as well as an engaging and compelling image from Thomas Struth’s authoritative oeuvre.