Who painted Study for `Ja, was ist denn das?'?

Study for `Ja, was ist denn das?' was painted by Karl Arnold in 1937.

Where can I see Study for `Ja, was ist denn das?'?

Study for `Ja, was ist denn das?' is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

Artwork

Study for `Ja, was ist denn das?'

Karl Arnold , 1937

Study for `Ja, was ist denn das?' is a drawing by Karl Arnold. It dates from 1937 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

’,” is a loose pencil and ink sketch that served as a preliminary design for a satirical illustration.

Karl Arnold’s preparatory drawing, titled “Study for ‘Ja, was ist denn das?’,” is a loose pencil and ink sketch that served as a preliminary design for a satirical illustration. The composition features two elderly women positioned within a gallery space, their faces marked by tension as they regard a muscular, neoclassical nude male figure. The work remains unfinished, with visible smudges and sketchy lines that emphasize its draft nature.

Subject & Meaning

The drawing juxtaposes the solemn atmosphere of an art exhibition with the absurdity of the women’s startled reaction to the heroic nude sculpture, a form favored by Nazi cultural policy. By highlighting their uneasy expressions, Arnold critiques the regime’s glorification of muscular, idealized bodies, using humor to question the aesthetic values imposed by the authorities.

Technique & Style

Executed in rapid pencil strokes combined with ink hatching, the study exhibits a spontaneous, sketchy quality. Loose contours define the figures, while cross‑hatching suggests volume without completing facial details. The unfinished appearance, with erasures and smudges, underscores its function as a working model rather than a finished artwork.

History & Provenance

Created as a preparatory piece for a caricature intended for the Munich magazine *Simplicissimus*, the drawing reflects the publication’s adaptation to stricter censorship under the Nazi regime. Although the final illustration appeared in the periodical, this study survived as a separate artifact, documenting the artist’s process and the magazine’s shift toward less overtly political subjects.

Context

*Simplicissimus* was known for its sharp political and cultural commentary, but by the mid‑1930s it faced increasing pressure to avoid direct confrontation with Nazi authorities. Arnold’s sketch therefore represents a moment when the magazine turned to more subtle satire, employing visual irony within permissible themes while still critiquing prevailing aesthetic doctrines.