Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Oonas back

Alex Katz

Name Class Date
Alex Katz, Oonas back. Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Alex Katz wahooart.com/en/artists/alex-katz/
Artist’s dates
1927 –
Movement
Contemporary Realism Living artists painting the real world with traditional skill, often from photographs as well as from life.

Copyright This work is treated as still under copyright. Alex Katz was born in 1927 and has no recorded death date; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Source: WahooArt.com — accessed Sept. 29, 2026

Oonas back — Alex Katz Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Oonas back — Alex Katz

When might this have been painted?

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

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span, counting 0 from birth.

every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1972 Main working years: 1972–1997 Late works: from 1997

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

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: wahooart.com/en/art/similar/alex-katz-oonas-back-AE3M7S-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Phthalo Green #22262c

    Catalogued palette

    • #22262C
    • #F3CE7B
    • #BC8039
    • #13181B

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Phthalo Green
    Intensity
    Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Discordant 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.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Alex Katz over the last twelve months — 4 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 72.2%
    2. 2 United States of America 24.1%
    3. 3 Austria 2.5%
    4. 4 Spain 1.3%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Alex Katz

    1. 1 Round Hill 6.6%
    2. 2 Eleuthera 5.5%
    3. 3 Ocean View, 1992 4.4%
    4. 4 untitled (7528) 4.4%
    5. 5 Thursday night, 1974 3.3%
    6. 6 Upside Down Ada 3.3%
    7. 7 Woman in a Kitchen, 1973 3.3%
    8. 8 Morning nude 3.3%
    9. 9 Leigh 3.3%
    10. 10 Fashion 2.2%
    11. 11 Ada seated 2.2%
    12. 12 Swamp Maple (4:30), 1968 2.2%
    13. 13 Summer in maine 2.2%
    14. 14 Wildflowers 2.2%
    15. 15 Gray dress 2.2%
    16. 16 Moosehorn State Park 2.2%
    17. 17 Fashion (3) 1.1%
    18. 18 Red Coat, 1983 1.1%
    19. 19 Sophia 1.1%
    20. — Oonas back this painting 0.0%

    Together these works take 56.1% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 229 works by this artist, of which 59 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: WahooArt.com — accessed Sept. 29, 2026

    Oonas back — Alex Katz Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Alex Katz

    Born in Brooklyn, United States of America

    Early Life and Education

    Born: July 24, 1927, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, USA

    Family moved to St. Albans, Queens at a young age.

    Developed an interest in art early on.

    Studied at the Cooper Union (1946-1949), learning Modern art theories and techniques under Morris Kantor.

    Attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, honing painting skills and emphasizing painting from life. This experience proved pivotal to his artistic development.

    Artistic Style and Influences

    Style: Characterized by simplicity, bold colors, and cool emotional detachment. Often divided into portraiture and landscape genres.

    Influences: Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese artist known for woodcuts). Comparisons have been drawn to Andy Warhol and Keith Haring.

    Techniques: Experimentation with "cutouts" – painting on cut panels of wood or aluminum. Direct painting onto shaped aluminum sheets became a signature technique.

    Monochrome Backgrounds: A defining characteristic, separating him from gestural figure painters and anticipating Pop Art.

    Photographic & Cinematic Strategies: Incorporation of cropping, decoupage, and repetition to create rhythm within paintings.

    Notable Works and Development

    Early Works: Small collages of figures in landscapes (late 1950s).

    Portraiture Focus: Paintings of friends and his wife, Ada, became central themes.

    Significant Pieces: "Alex Katz: Thursday Night," "Alex Katz: Ada in Black Sweater."

    Large-Scale Paintings (1960s): Dramatic cropping of faces influenced by film and advertising.

    Landscape Series (late 1980s & 1990s): “Environmental” landscapes with loosened edges and painterly brushstrokes.

    Night Pictures: Exploration of new light sources, departing from sunlit landscapes.

    Floral Paintings: Profusion of blossoms covering canvases (early 2000s).

    Recent Works: Drastic cropping of individual portraits and sequencing images across linen. iPhone photography used as a starting point for compositions.

    Achievements and Historical Significance

    Pop Art Association: Often associated with the Pop Art movement, reflecting influences from popular culture.

    Innovation in Technique: Pioneering use of "cutouts" and experimentation with printmaking techniques.

    Collaborations: Designed sets and costumes for choreographer Paul Taylor.

    Recognition & Awards: Numerous awards and recognition throughout his career. Work held in prominent collections (Centre Georges Pompidou, Tate Gallery, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao).

    Longevity and Influence: A seven-decade career establishing him as a key figure in contemporary art, influencing generations of artists with his distinctive style and approach to portraiture and landscape painting.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Oonas back

    wahooart.com/en/art/download/alex-katz-oonas-back-AE3M7S-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Katz, Alex. Oonas back. n.d., https://wahooart.com/en/art/alex-katz-oonas-back-AE3M7S-en/
    APA
    Katz, Alex (n.d.). Oonas back [Painting]. https://wahooart.com/en/art/alex-katz-oonas-back-AE3M7S-en/
    Chicago
    Alex Katz. Oonas back. n.d. https://wahooart.com/en/art/alex-katz-oonas-back-AE3M7S-en/
    Harvard
    Katz, Alex (n.d.) Oonas back. Available at: https://wahooart.com/en/art/alex-katz-oonas-back-AE3M7S-en/

    Source: WahooArt.com — accessed Sept. 29, 2026

    Oonas back — Alex Katz Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Oonas back — Alex Katz

    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. Our catalogue files this work under: portrait, back view, figure. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Smiles\n\nUrsula Smiles 2 (1994), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Contemporary Realism: Living artists painting the real world with traditional skill, often from photographs as well as from life. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

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

    Source: WahooArt.com — accessed Sept. 29, 2026

    Oonas back — Alex Katz Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    Which color stands out most in "Oonas back"?

    The color that stands out most in "Oonas back" is phthalo green (#22262c). The dominant color is useful when matching an artwork to an interior.

    How saturated is the palette of "Oonas back"?

    The colors of "Oonas back" by Alex Katz have a muted saturation. Saturation describes how vivid or muted the colors are.

    Who is the artist behind "Oonas back"?

    "Oonas back" is attributed to Alex Katz.