Photo: Marikevanroon20 — CC BY-SA 4.0Source
Joanna Wichmann
- January 5, 1905
- September 27, 1985
- 80 years
About Joanna Wichmann
Joanna Wichmann, 80, German artist.
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Full Biography
|Joanna (Anna) Wichmann (5 January 1905 – 27 September 1985) was a German-born textile artist and embroiderer who worked in the Netherlands from 1928 to 1939.
Biography
She was born Johanna Pittig in Essen, Germany, on 5 January 1905, as the daughter of Joseph Pittig and Petronella Theodora Sanders. She was adopted by Heinrich Wichmann and Katharina Vogt and assumed the name Joanna Wichmann.
She studied at the Folkwang School in Essen until 1927, where she was taught by Karl Kriete and Jos van Heekern, among others. She then worked for two years with the painter Martin Monnickendam in Amsterdam, Holland. In 1928, an exhibition was dedicated to her embroidery work for the first time, in the St. Bernard House in Amsterdam. The quantity of her creative work was limited because she had to not only design each piece but make it as well. She worked there until 1931 and then moved on to the Institute for Ecclesiastical Art at St. Boniface House, also in Amsterdam.
At the Institute, Wichmann was put in charge of the workshop for liturgical chasubles, vestments and banners and she remained there until the Institute was closed down in 1938 because of declining commissions.
Work
Wichmann mainly designed and manufactured church vestments, banners and tapestries. The fabrics she used were flexible and single-colored. In addition to undecorated fabrics, she used modern silk damasks, from Johan Thorn Prikker, among others, and hand-woven fabrics from Greten Neter-Kähler. The latter was trained at the Bauhaus and, like Wichmann, lived in Amsterdam.
Wichmann's work was minimally decorated, with small, schematically depicted figures. She frequently used texts as decoration, consisting of slender capitals placed next to or above each other. Over the course of the 1930s, her figures became increasingly angular and strongly stylized, showing large hands, feet and heads. Wichmann's most important works bear the monogram AW or JW, and the lining often shows her full name and address in Amsterdam.
Wichmann applied various techniques, such as batik and handprint, cross stitch and white embroidery, but she mainly used appliqué, secured and detailed with various embroidery stitches.
Students
In the Netherlands, Wichmann's work was very well received. The style that she introduced with her compatriot Hildegard Fischer, was soon named "the modern German school." Until the late 1930s, her work sold well and was regularly exhibited. Wichmann was known to have trained several Dutch embroiderers, including Ernee 't Hooft, Johanna Klijn and Gerda Blankenheym.
Personal life
On 24 October 1938, she married W. Bierther in Siegburg, Germany, and in 1939 the couple settled in Bonn, Germany.
Wichmann died in Bonn, 27 September 1985.
Memberships
- Member of General Catholic Artists Association.
- Member of St. Bernulphus Guild from 1928.
Awards
1937: Paris World's Fair (Grand Prize, Tapestry)
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_Wichmann
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 22, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Joanna Wichmann's archived record and the sources above.
1.Who were the adoptive parents of Joanna Wichmann?
- A.Martin Monnickendam and Hildegard Fischer
- B.Heinrich Wichmann and Katharina Vogtcorrect
- C.Karl Kriete and Jos van Heekern
- D.Joseph Pittig and Petronella Theodora Sanders
Joanna Wichmann was adopted by Heinrich Wichmann and Katharina Vogt, from whom she took her surname.
Source: Biography section
2.At which institution did Joanna Wichmann study until 1927?
- A.St. Bernard House
- B.Institute for Ecclesiastical Art
- C.Folkwang Schoolcorrect
- D.The Bauhaus
Joanna Wichmann studied at the Folkwang School in Essen until 1927.
Source: Biography section
3.For which painter did Joanna Wichmann work for two years in Amsterdam?
- A.Jos van Heekern
- B.Martin Monnickendamcorrect
- C.Johan Thorn Prikker
- D.Karl Kriete
After her studies, Joanna Wichmann worked for two years with the painter Martin Monnickendam in Amsterdam.
Source: Biography section
4.In what year was an exhibition first dedicated to the embroidery work of Joanna Wichmann?
- A.1928correct
- B.1927
- C.1931
- D.1939
An exhibition was dedicated to the embroidery work of Joanna Wichmann for the first time in 1928.
Source: Biography section
5.Why was the Institute for Ecclesiastical Art closed down in 1938?
- A.The death of the lead designer
- B.A lack of skilled apprentices
- C.Declining commissionscorrect
- D.A move to a new location
The Institute for Ecclesiastical Art was closed in 1938 because of a decline in commissions.
Source: Biography section
6.What type of fabric did Joanna Wichmann source from Greten Neter-Kähler?
- A.Cotton lace
- B.Heavy wool velvet
- C.Modern silk damasks
- D.Hand-woven fabricscorrect
Joanna Wichmann used hand-woven fabrics from Greten Neter-Kähler, who was trained at the Bauhaus.
Source: Work section
7.What was the characteristic appearance of the figures used in the work of Joanna Wichmann during the 1930s?
- A.Small and realistic
- B.Abstract and formless
- C.Detailed and naturalistic
- D.Angular and strongly stylizedcorrect
Over the 1930s, the figures in the work of Joanna Wichmann became increasingly angular and strongly stylized.
Source: Work section
8.What monograms appeared on the most important works of Joanna Wichmann?
- A.AW or JP
- B.AW or JWcorrect
- C.KW or JW
- D.JP or JW
Joanna Wichmann's most important works bear the monogram AW or JW.
Source: Work section
9.Which embroidery technique did Joanna Wichmann mainly use for her creations?
- A.Cross stitch
- B.White embroidery
- C.Batik
- D.Appliquécorrect
Joanna Wichmann applied various techniques but she mainly used appliqué.
Source: Work section
10.What was the name given to the style of embroidery introduced by Joanna Wichmann and Hildegard Fischer?
- A.The Ecclesiastical Modern movement
- B.The Dutch Bauhaus style
- C.The Amsterdam embroidery tradition
- D.The modern German schoolcorrect
The style introduced by Joanna Wichmann and Hildegard Fischer was soon named the modern German school.
Source: Students section
11.Who was one of the Dutch embroiderers trained by Joanna Wichmann?
- A.Hildegard Fischer
- B.Gerda Blankenheymcorrect
- C.Petronella Sanders
- D.Katharina Vogt
Joanna Wichmann trained several Dutch embroiderers, including Gerda Blankenheym.
Source: Students section
12.In what year did Joanna Wichmann move to Bonn, Germany?
- A.1937
- B.1938
- C.1939correct
- D.1985
In 1939, Joanna Wichmann and her husband settled in Bonn, Germany.
Source: Personal life section
13.Joanna Wichmann was a member of which guild starting in 1928?
- A.St. Bernulphus Guildcorrect
- B.St. Boniface Guild
- C.The Amsterdam Artist Guild
- D.The German Textile Guild
Joanna Wichmann was a member of the St. Bernulphus Guild from 1928.
Source: Memberships section
14.For which achievement did Joanna Wichmann receive a Grand Prize at the 1937 Paris World's Fair?
- A.Church vestments
- B.Banners
- C.Tapestrycorrect
- D.Batik design
Joanna Wichmann received the Grand Prize for Tapestry at the 1937 Paris World's Fair.
Source: Awards section
15.On what date did Joanna Wichmann pass away?
- A.24 October 1938
- B.27 September 1939
- C.27 September 1985correct
- D.5 January 1905
Joanna Wichmann died in Bonn on 27 September 1985.
Source: Personal life section
16.In what city was Joanna Wichmann born?
- A.Amsterdam
- B.Siegburg
- C.Bonn
- D.Essencorrect
Joanna Wichmann was born Johanna Pittig in Essen, Germany.
Source: Biography section
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