Jean Arp

Otto Preminger, New York (circa 1963)
By descent to the previous owner
Sale:  Christie's, New York, Impressionist and Modern Art Day Sale, November 9, 2006, lot 476

C. Giedon-Welcker, Jean Arp, Stuttgart, 1957, p. 105, no. 74, small version listed and illustrated pl. 74

Condition report provided by Wilson Conservation The sculpture is in excellent condition. No physical damage was noted on the surface A network of grey inorganic inclusions that are inherent in the stone can be seen on the back and proper right side of the form. Very small dirt particles can be seen in the granular surface throughout the sculpture. The smooth polished surface displays several very small areas of natural pitting about 1/16 inches in diameter. Two of these areas are located on the proper right side of the head, two are on the proper right bottom side and two are on the proper left bottom side.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The simplicity of Arp's artistic vision pervades his oeuvre. A writer and poet himself, Arp spoke eloquently throughout his life about his work. In a short essay which appeared in On My Way: Poetry and Essays 1912-1947, he wrote the following about his working method: "Often a detail of one of my sculptures, an outline, a contrast seduces me and becomes the seed of a new sculpture. I accentuate an outline, a contrast and that results in the birth of new forms... often it takes me months, even years to realize a sculpture. I don't let it go until it has absorbed something of my life". Indeed, the biomorphic forms which the artist carved are directly derived from plant and vegetable forms and lend themselves to outdoor display. Arp had always enjoyed seeing his sculptures in natural settings as seen by his carving large slabs of stone into various shapes and placing them in his garden in Ticino where they could merge into the landscape and become one with nature.

Fig. 1, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Nelly van Doesburg, Jean Arp and Sonia Delaunay in Grasse, circa 1942