GERHARD RICHTER, Tote bag, 2019 – number 2
18 x 18 inches
tote bag, dye print on polyester fibre
published by FineArtAmerica.com
produced by PX Pixels, Corporate Headquarters, Chicago, IL, USA
p.o.r.

Fine Art America is a company comparable to RedBuble Pty Ltd that was founded in 2006 as a global online marketplace for print-on-demand products. In 2007, Broihier launched Fine Art America, also an ecommerce marketplace. Artists upload digital images of their artwork to fineartamerica.com and offer them for sale as frame prints, canvas prints, greeting cards and more. Once a purchase is made, Fine Art America outsources the printing, framing, matting, stretching, packaging, shipping and insuring.
FineArtAmerica.com sells not only in-the-style-of, but also merchandised 2 patterns (details of a painting) that are offered as ‘by Gerhard Richter’, i.e. both 2 Throw pillows and 2 Tote bags. That brings one to the question whether Gerhard Richter or his team ‘uploaded digital images of artworks to fineartamerica.com’ or that e.g. Fine Art America got a license to publish and produce this product.
For some reason on the Tote bags number 2 and 3 no reference can found related to Gerhard Richter’s name, consent or authorisation. KvG, 28 October 2019

When one is looking for Richter’s Tote bags produced by various companies none of these bags are for sale anymore. Instead of making clear whether a product is an authentic item made with the consent of Richter, nowadays Tote bags are printed with squeegee reproductions designed by designers obviously inspired by the paintings of Gerhard Richter. This all makes the Tote bag number 2 a peculiar collector’s item. KvG, 17 March 2021