Sigmar Polke's 'Watchtower' Acquired by MoMA as Lauder Gift

The Museum of Modern Art in New York has acquired Sigmar Polke's 1984 painting 'Watchtower (Hochsitz)' as a fractional and promised gift from Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder. Created in 1984, the work measures 300 x 224.8 cm and employs synthetic polymer paints and dry pigment on patterned fabric. Polke, a German artist who lived from 1941 to 2010, produced this significant piece during his mature period. The acquisition was announced on July 3, 2014, through artcritical.com. The artwork's copyright is held by the Estate of Sigmar Polke, represented by Artists Rights Society in New York and VG Bild-Kunst in Bonn. This addition enhances MoMA's collection of postwar European art. The painting's title references surveillance structures, reflecting Polke's interest in political and social observation.