For the 1971 Venice Biennale, Gerhard Richter represented Germany through a series of portraits of international figures in Culture and Science. He created an installation of 48 portraits of scientists, philosophers, writers, and composers in black and white. The images emerged from consultations with encyclopedias and history books, which Richter then translated into oil paintings. The selection is notable for the absence of women, religious or political figures, and artists.

To complete the series, Richter committed to painting two portraits a day of similar dimensions, a task requiring high concentration and impeccable execution. Regarding the installation in the German Pavilion, these "photopaintings" (a hybrid genre) were placed side by side, in a row, at the average eye level of the observer. He also considered the architecture of the space to evoke a mausoleum with his installation.

German Pavilion, Venice Biennale 1971