Die Knie Fest Geschlossen by Paul Wunderlich

This is very typical of Wunderlich's work which is described as Fantastic Realism. His work favors erotic surrealistic images sometimes inspired by literature (such as the images from the Songs of Solomon) and others presumably from his imagination. This work is a lithograph that dates from 1968. It is signed in pencil lower left just below the hand. The edition is given lower right 30/90. Wunderlich works are always printed to the edge of the paper. The size is 19.75 x 25.75 inches This is in excellent condition with no paper loss, tears, fading, stains, foxing, or other problems. An excellent and very creepy example of Wunderlich's work.

Paul Wunderlich 1927-2010
Paul Wunderlich is a German surrealist artist. He worked in many media including painting, sculpture and graphic arts. He was one of the founders of the school of Magic (or Magical) Realism, a movement in literature and art that depicts the real world that includes fantastic or magical elements. Wunderlich often drew on mythological or Biblical themes for his art. Wunderlich studied graphic art at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg. He later studied printmaking with the German expressionists Emil Nolde and Oskar Kokoschka. Initially working with abstract imagery, in the post-war period he began to incorporate figural elements which gradually came to dominate his work. He also began to incorporate nudes and erotic imagery, although these were rendered in a surreal manner, where he distorted, elongated, and even dismembered the figures. His printmaking technique favors a diffuse matte-like surface creating an atmospheric impression that enhanced the dream-like nature of his subject matter. Even so, the underlying realism can lead to disturbing scenes. For example, his lithographic series Qui s’explique was confiscated by the authorities for a time. His distinctive style led to him being awarded the Japan Cultural Forum Award (1964), the Gold Medal in Florence (1970), Gold Medals at the Grafik-Biennale in Taiwan and in Bulgaria (1978), and the Kunstpreis des Landes Schleswig-Holstein (1986). In addition to his art, he was also a professor at the Hochschule für bildende Künste. He had numerous solo and group shows throughout his career, including major retrospectives in Japan in the 1990s. His work is held in many major collections including the Tate, the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Hamburger Kunsthalle, and the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart among others.