December 7, 2024 - After a simple banana taped to a wall was sold for Rs 52 crore, it is now the turn for an empty canvas to make waves. A minimalist artwork by American painter Robert Ryman, featuring a blank “pure white” canvas, was put up for auction in Germany. The price of the artwork was estimated to start at Rs 9 crore and go up to Rs 13 crore (around $1.5 million).

The artwork, titled General 52" x 52", by renowned minimalist artist Robert Ryman was available for bidding at the Ketterer Kunst auction house in Berlin. Although the canvas appears empty, it has been painted with white enamel and enamel lacquer. As per the auction house, the white enamel used on the canvas is particularly sensitive. Because of this the artwork’s delicate surface cannot be transported for viewing before the auction.

"The material is very sensitive and the smallest traces in the flawless surface would immediately reduce the value of the work significantly," explained the auction house. "That's why we are not sending it on a journey."

According to Simone Wichmann, an expert at Ketterer Kunst, "White is not always white. The white colour reveals the light, movement and structure of the material.”