# In 1988, Sonic Youth put a painting on an album cover. In 2008, it sold for £7.1 million

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1988-sonic-youth-put-a-painting-on-an-album-cover-in-2008-it-sold-for-7-1-million/
- Published: 2026-11-01T00:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-01T00:19:44+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/sonic-youth-kerze-and-a-7000000-bid/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Richter’s *Kerze* appeared on Sonic Youth’s *Daydream Nation*.
- The original painting sold for £7.1 million in 2008.
- A 2007 reissue helped renew interest in the album.

## Summary

Sonic Youth used Gerhard Richter’s blurred candle painting *Kerze* on the cover of their 1988 double album *Daydream Nation*. The pairing was accidental: the German artist reportedly did not know the band or intend the work to accompany music, yet the image became closely associated with one of alternative rock’s landmark records.

In February 2008, the original canvas sold at Sotheby’s in London to an American private collector for £7.1 million, nearly three times its catalogue price. The article links the sale’s timing to a 2007 deluxe reissue that renewed interest in the album, and notes a visual and musical parallel: Richter blurred photographic images with paint, while Sonic Youth mixed melodies with feedback and distorted guitars.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.