Bernd and Hilla Becher

Bernd and Hilla Becher were two German conceptual photographers who together produced typographical documentation of industrial structures. Their black-and-white images served as visual case studies of what they called Anonymous Sculpture, referring to disappearing architectural relics such as coal mines, steel mills, water towers, grain silos, and gas tanks. “I became aware that these buildings [blast furnaces] were a kind of nomadic architecture which had a comparatively short life—maybe 100 years, often less, then they disappear,” the artists said of their work. “It seemed important to keep them in some way and photography seemed the most appropriate way to do that.” Bernd Becher was born on August 20, 1931 in Siegen, Germany, and Hilla Wobeser was born on September 2, 1934 in Potsdam, Germany. They met one another while studying painting at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, their romance prompting a collaborative career. Their working methods and techniques influenced a generation of photographers now known as the Düsseldorf School, which includes Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth, and Candida Höfer. Bernd died on June 22, 2007 in Rostock, Germany, while Hilla died on October 15, 2015 in Düsseldorf, Germany. Today, their works are included in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Tate Gallery in London.

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Bernd and Hilla Becher Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Bernd and Hilla Becher (1,425 results)
Grain Elevator (Getreideheber), Coolus,..., 2006

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Grain Elevator (Getreideheber), Coolus,..., 2006

Sale Date: October 12, 2022

Auction Closed

Water Tower, Oberhausen/Ruhr, Germany, 1967

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Water Tower, Oberhausen/Ruhr, Germany, 1967

Sale Date: October 12, 2022

Auction Closed

Water Tower (Wasserturm), Herve/Liège, B, 1971

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Water Tower (Wasserturm), Herve/Liège, B, 1971

Sale Date: October 12, 2022

Auction Closed

Coal Tipple, Goodspring, PA, 1975

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Coal Tipple, Goodspring, PA, 1975

Sale Date: October 12, 2022

Auction Closed

Hot Blast Stoves, Steel Plant,..., 1986

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Hot Blast Stoves, Steel Plant,..., 1986

Sale Date: October 12, 2022

Auction Closed

Chemical Plant, Wesseling near Cologne,..., 1983

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Chemical Plant, Wesseling near Cologne,..., 1983

Sale Date: October 6, 2022

Auction Closed

Blast-Furnaces, Ilsede and Hanover (2 works..., 1982

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Blast-Furnaces, Ilsede and Hanover (2 works..., 1982

Sale Date: October 11, 2022

Auction Closed

Hot Blast Stoves (10 works), 1988

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Hot Blast Stoves (10 works), 1988

Sale Date: October 11, 2022

Auction Closed

Framework House in Heisberg/Siegen, 1978

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Framework House in Heisberg/Siegen, 1978

Sale Date: October 5, 2022

Auction Closed

Loomis Breaker, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania,..., 1974

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Loomis Breaker, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania,..., 1974

Sale Date: October 5, 2022

Auction Closed

Transformator Silo, 1971

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Transformator Silo, 1971

Sale Date: June 8, 2022

Auction Closed

Duisberg III, Ruhrgebiet, 1979

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Duisberg III, Ruhrgebiet, 1979

Sale Date: June 9, 2022

Auction Closed

Wasserturm Werk Rodingen, 1969

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Wasserturm Werk Rodingen, 1969

Sale Date: June 2, 2022

Auction Closed

Maschinenhalle Werk Rodingen, 1979

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Maschinenhalle Werk Rodingen, 1979

Sale Date: June 2, 2022

Auction Closed

Hochofenkopf, Terre Rouge, 1979

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Hochofenkopf, Terre Rouge, 1979

Sale Date: June 2, 2022

Auction Closed

Winding towers, 1970–1979

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Winding towers, 1970–1979

Sale Date: June 1, 2022

Auction Closed

Cement Plant, 1988

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Cement Plant, 1988

Sale Date: May 14, 2022

Auction Closed

Winding Towers, 1983

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Winding Towers, 1983

Sale Date: May 19, 2022

Auction Closed

Preparation plants, 2009

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Preparation plants, 2009

Sale Date: April 27, 2022

Auction Closed

Blast Furnace (Details), 1988

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Blast Furnace (Details), 1988

Sale Date: April 13, 2022

Auction Closed

Image from

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Image from "Six Double Water Towers" portfolio,...

Sale Date: April 7, 2022

Auction Closed

Bernd and Hilla Becher

"8 Ansichten des Hauses Sternbuschweg 362, 1972

Sale Date: April 6, 2022

Auction Closed

5 Ansichten eines Kalksilos in Duisburg-Ruhrort

Bernd and Hilla Becher

5 Ansichten eines Kalksilos in Duisburg-Ruhrort

Sale Date: March 10, 2022

Auction Closed

Anonyme Skulpturen: A Typology of Technical..., 1970

Bernd and Hilla Becher

Anonyme Skulpturen: A Typology of Technical..., 1970

Sale Date: March 10, 2022

Auction Closed

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