Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Joanna

4 parts 1 The artwork2 In context3 Artist and museum4 Look closely

Name Class Date
paul wunderlich, Joanna (1968). Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder.

The facts

Artist
paul wunderlich artsdot.com/en/artists/paul-wunderlich/
Artist’s dates
1927 – 2010
Painted
1968
Original size
160 x 129 cm

In context

Joanna — paul wunderlich

How big is it?

The original measures 160 × 129 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When was this painted?

  1. 1920
  2. 1930
  3. 1940
  4. 1950
  5. 1960
  6. 1970
  7. 1980
  8. 1990
  9. 2000
  10. 2010

Shaded: the lifetime of paul wunderlich (1927–2010) ▲ this work, 1968

Compare with

  • Torso Bleu, 1967 artsdot.com/en/art/paul-wunderlich-torso-bleu-AR2GV8-en/
  • Torso (Grau), 1967 artsdot.com/en/art/paul-wunderlich-torso-grau-AR2GVA-en/
  • Untitled artsdot.com/en/art/paul-wunderlich-untitled-AR2GV6-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: artsdot.com/en/art/similar/paul-wunderlich-joanna-AR2GVC-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Sap Green #586157

    Catalogued palette

    • #586157
    • #22241F
    • #3D433C
    • #8C958E
    Main colour name
    Sap Green
    Intensity
    Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Gentle How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Unified Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Artist and museum

    Joanna — paul wunderlich

    Artist

    paul wunderlich

    Paul Wunderlich: A Surrealist Visionary Sculptor

    Paul Wunderlich (1927 – 2010) stands as a singular figure in German art history—a painter, sculptor, and graphic artist who relentlessly pursued the unsettling beauty of surrealism and eroticism. His oeuvre transcends mere visual representation; it delves into psychological landscapes populated by mythological archetypes and imbued with an unmistakable sensual impulse. Born in Eberswalde, Wunderlich’s formative years were marked by wartime service and imprisonment, experiences that undoubtedly shaped his artistic sensibility. He honed his skills at the Johann Heinrich Voss Gymnasium and subsequently attended the Palace School of Art in Eutin Castle, fostering connections with fellow artists like Horst Janssen and Reinhard Drekhahn—a cohort destined to explore similar stylistic territories.

    Early Artistic Training: Wunderlich’s formal education solidified his grounding in classical aesthetics while simultaneously exposing him to avant-garde currents championed by William Tietze at Hamburg’s Kunsthochschule, where he excelled in graphic arts.

    Collaboration and Influence: His early prints for Emil Nolde ("The King and His Men") and Oskar Kokoschka (“Anna Eliza Reed”) established crucial artistic dialogues—demonstrating his ability to synthesize disparate influences into a cohesive visual language.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Joanna

    artsdot.com/en/art/download/paul-wunderlich-joanna-AR2GVC-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    wunderlich, paul. Joanna. 1968, https://artsdot.com/en/art/paul-wunderlich-joanna-AR2GVC-en/
    APA
    wunderlich, paul (1968). Joanna [Painting]. https://artsdot.com/en/art/paul-wunderlich-joanna-AR2GVC-en/
    Chicago
    paul wunderlich. Joanna. 1968. https://artsdot.com/en/art/paul-wunderlich-joanna-AR2GVC-en/
    Harvard
    wunderlich, paul (1968) Joanna. Available at: https://artsdot.com/en/art/paul-wunderlich-joanna-AR2GVC-en/

    Look closely

    Joanna — paul wunderlich

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Look back at Torso Bleu (1967), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    4. paul wunderlich was about 41 when this was made. What in it looks like the work of an artist at that stage?
    5. What might the artist have wanted you to feel?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.