A painting by American artist Robert Ryman, titled “General 52 x 52,” will be auctioned in Munich, Germany.
Despite being a plain white canvas, its estimated value ranges from 1 to 1.5 million euros. The artwork was created by Ryman in 1970. The painting contains no images—Ryman covered a square canvas (132.1 x 132.1 cm) with a solid layer of white enamel. It is known that enamel is highly sensitive to environmental factors, which is why the piece was not displayed at a previous exhibition in Berlin.
The starting price for the painting is approximately 1 million euros, based on the average market value for similar works. However, at auctions, some of Ryman’s other works have sold for up to 20 million dollars, so the final price could be much higher.
At first glance, the blank canvas may surprise with its high price, but “General 52 x 52” is considered the culmination of the artist-experimenter’s creative journey, where the white color, square shape, and carefully considered concept became key elements.
