WATTS INDEXThe canonical database of visual culture

Artists›Thomas Ruff

Thomas Ruff

1958

WA-00003232

Photography

Representation

None documented

Institutional Exhibitions

Works in Collection

114

Assets Indexed

Authority-backed Facts

Publications Referenced

90%

Profile Completeness

Cultural Positioning

Influence Graph

No influence edges encoded yet.

Authority Records (2)

WikidataQ77558

MoMA

Field Verification (7 fields)

4 cross-verified · 3 single-source

Birth yearWikidata + Unknown· 92%✓
Primary mediumWikidata + Unknown· 92%✓
BiographyWikipedia + Unknown· 88%✓
WebsiteWikidata· 92%✓
NationalityWikidata + Artsy+1· 92%
LocationArtsy + Wikidata+1· 85%
DeceasedUnknown· 20%

Source Registry (5)

Zwirnerhttps://www.davidzwirner.com/artists/thomas-ruff
Tier 3 · Scraped/inferred100%
Christies-Artsyhttps://www.artsy.net/artist/thomas-ruff
Tier 3 · Scraped/inferred100%
Spruth-Magershttps://spruethmagers.com/artists/
Tier 3 · Scraped/inferred100%
David-Zwirnerhttps://www.davidzwirner.com/artists
Tier 3 · Scraped/inferred100%
MoMA bulk 2026-05-04https://www.moma.org/artists/6982
Tier 1 · Institutional92%

About

Why this artist matters now

No biography available for Thomas Ruff yet.

Graph relationships

Taste overlap and adjacency

Movement

—

Medium

Photography

Related Artists

12 in graph

Institutional

Museum Collections

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum The Metropolitan Museum of Art Art Institute of Chicago Cleveland Museum of Art Tate

Canonical record

Artworks (26)

WattsOS

phg.06

2012 · Chromogenic print

92 1/8 × 64 5/8" (234 × 164.1 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

WattsOS

zycles 7044

2008 · Inkjet print on canvas

120 1/2 × 92 7/8" (306.1 × 235.9 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

WattsOS

jpeg tr01

2007 · Chromogenic print

92 1/2 × 64 5/8" (235 × 164.1 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

jpeg msh01

2004 · Chromogenic print

108 3/4 × 74" (276.2 × 188 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Atlas zum Lehrbuch der kosmischen Physik from the series Ex Libris

2004 · Artist's book with C-print bookplate

overall (closed): 22 3/16 x 19 5/16 x 1 13/16" (56.4 x 49 x 4.6 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

WattsOS

jpeg ny02

2004 · Chromogenic print

Image: 269 x 364 cm (105 15/16 x 143 5/16 in.)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

WattsOS

nudes bc15

2002 · Chromogenic print

39 3/8 × 52 1/2" (100 × 133.4 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

WattsOS

w.h.s. 07

2001 · Chromogenic print

70 7/8 × 94" (180 × 238.8 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

WattsOS

nudes ama12

2000 · Chromogenic print

35 1/2 × 53 5/8" (90.2 × 136.2 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

H.t.b.03

1999 · Chromogenic print mounted to Plexiglas

185 × 235 cm (72 13/16 × 92 1/2 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

WattsOS

h.t.b. 03

1999 · Chromogenic print

59 × 78 15/16" (149.9 × 200.5 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

d.p.b.02

1999 · Chromogenic print

Approx 51 3/4 × 76 3/4" (131.4 × 194.9 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

WattsOS

Untitled

1998 · Lithograph, offset printed

Museum of Modern Art

Goetz Collection

1994 · Photograph, colour, on paper

image: 1290 x 2425 mm

Tate

WattsOS

Nacht 2 I

1992 · Chromogenic print

54 5/8 × 56 15/16" (138.7 × 144.6 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

WattsOS

C-Prints (for Parkett no. 28)

1991 · Two chromogenic color prints in screenprinted translucent covers

each composition 19 11/16 x 19 11/16" (50 x 50 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

WattsOS

Constellations

1990 · Chromogenic print

Image: 48 x 32.1 cm (18 7/8 x 12 5/8 in.); Paper: 61 x 50.8 cm (24 x 20 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

WattsOS

Stars, 05h, 08m / -45 degrees

1990 · Chromogenic print

257.7 x 186.6 cm (101 7/16 x 73 7/16 in.)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Portrait

1989 · Chromogenic print

5' × 3' 11 1/4" (152.4 × 120 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Portrait

1988 · Chromogenic print

Paper: 210.2 × 165.4 cm (82 3/4 × 65 1/8 in.); frame: 210.2 × 165.4 cm (82 13/16 × 65 1/8 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

Portrait

1988 · Chromogenic print

Frame: 164.5 × 130.2 × 3 cm (64 13/16 × 51 5/16 × 1 3/16 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

WattsOS

Portrait (A. Siekmann)

1987 · Chromogenic print

210 x 165 cm (82 11/16 x 64 15/16 in.)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Portrait 1986 (Stoya)

1986 · Photograph, colour, on paper

image: 1600 x 1205 mm

Tate

Portrait (Ralph Müller)

1986 · Chromogenic print

Frame: 164.5 × 130.2 × 3 cm (64 13/16 × 51 5/16 × 1 3/16 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

View all 26 artworks →

Artwork sources (5)

26 published of 41 catalogued · 20 with image

MoMA
15 publishedof 30 catalogued14 img
Art Institute Chicago
4 published4 img
The Met
3 published
Cleveland Museum of Art
2 published
Tate
2 published2 img

Per-Artwork Provenance Chains (top 4)

4 entries · 1 sources

In a Dream...
1983 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Goetz Collection
1994 · Tate · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Constellations
1990 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Portrait 1986 (Stoya)
1986 · Tate · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number

Record

Images

38 assets

Artsy

Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons

View all 38 media items →

Relationships

Peers & Context56

John McCrackenco-exhibitedFranz Westco-exhibitedJason Rhoadesco-exhibitedGordon Matta Clarkco-exhibitedChristopher Williamsco-exhibited Stan Douglasco-exhibited

Collections7

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Art Institute of Chicago Cleveland Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art Tate Christie's

Institutional

Representation & Collections

Gallery

David Zwirner

In collection

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

In collection

Art Institute of Chicago

In collection

Cleveland Museum of Art

In collection

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

In collection

Tate

Market

Auction sale history

Houses that have sold works by this artist at auction

Auction house

Christie's

Background

Education

Kunstakademie Düsseldorf

Visual Arts · 1985

Folkwang University of the Arts

Visual Arts

Network

Related Artists

Record

Exhibitions and timeline

Group Exhibition David Zwirner: 30 Years

2024

Group Exhibition I Love NY Benefit