Major institutional loan of Photorealist paintings from Waddington Custot

Waddington Custot is delighted to announce the loan of 25 paintings to the most comprehensive exhibition of Photorealist art ever staged in Europe. Rivaling Reality: 60 Years of Photorealism is on view at the Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden, Germany, from 28 February until 2 August 2026. The exhibition traces the evolution of the movement from the 1960s to the present day, showcasing over 90 masterpieces.

The exhibition features works by 30 leading artists, including John Baeder, Robert Bechtle, Charles Bell, Tom Blackwell, Robert Cottingham, Don Eddy, Ralph Goings, Ron Kleemann, Richard McLean, David Parrish and John Salt, from the collection of Waddington Custot. The gallery contributes alongside renowned institutions such as the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

Since antiquity, the detailed reproduction of nature has been one of the key concerns of the craft of painting. In the art of the 20th century, no other movement pursued this rivalry with reality as programmatically as American Photorealism. As a reaction to Abstract Expressionism, artists such as Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, Ralph Goings or Ron Kleemann returned to figurative painting, seeking to compete with the medium of photography in its precision and pictorial prowess.

The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated 240-page catalogue, published in both German and English editions.