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Hans Jean ArpHans Jean Arp, Composition on a Blue Background, from Derriere le miroir, 19491949
1949
$716
$89520% Off
£555.32
£694.1520% Off
€629.44
€786.7920% Off
CA$1,024.72
CA$1,280.9020% Off
A$1,119.72
A$1,399.6520% Off
CHF 580.50
CHF 725.6220% Off
MX$13,376.61
MX$16,720.7620% Off
NOK 7,387.20
NOK 9,23420% Off
SEK 6,916.17
SEK 8,645.2120% Off
DKK 4,700.12
DKK 5,875.1520% Off
About the Item
This exquisite lithograph by Hans Jean Arp (1886–1966), titled Composition sur fond bleu (Composition on a Blue Background), from the folio Derriere le miroir, L’art abstrait, No. 21-22, originates from the 1949 edition published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1949. Expressing Arp’s poetic abstraction and harmony between geometry and nature, this composition embodies the organic rhythm and lyrical balance that define his art.
Executed as a lithograph on velin paper, this work measures 15 x 22 inches, with centerfold as issued. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of Mourlot Freres, Paris.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Hans Jean Arp (1886–1966)
Title: Composition sur fond bleu (Composition on a Blue Background), from the folio Derriere le miroir, L’art abstrait, No. 21-22
Medium: Lithograph on velin paper
Dimensions: 15 x 22 inches (38.1 x 55.9 cm), with centerfold as issued
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1949
Publisher: Maeght Editeur, Paris
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris
Catalogue Raisonne Reference: Arntz, Wilhelm F., and Jean Arp. Hans (Jean) Arp : Das Graphische Werk 1912-1966, L’œuvre Grave. G. Arntz-Winter, 1974, illustration 314.
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the folio Derriere le miroir, L’art abstrait, No. 21-22, published by Maeght Editeur, Paris; printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1949
About the Publication:
Derriere le miroir (Behind the Mirror) was one of the most important art publications of the 20th century, created and published by Maeght Editeur in Paris from 1946 to 1982. Founded by the visionary art dealer and publisher Aime Maeght, the series served as both an exhibition catalogue and a work of art in its own right, uniting original lithographs by leading modern and contemporary artists with critical essays, poetry, and design of the highest quality. Printed by master lithographers such as Mourlot Freres and Arte, Derriere le miroir became synonymous with the artistic vanguard of postwar Europe. Each issue was devoted to a single artist or theme and published to accompany exhibitions at the Galerie Maeght in Paris, featuring works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Joan Miro, Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder, Fernand Leger, and Alberto Giacometti, among others. The publication reflected Maeght’s belief that art should be both accessible and elevated—an ideal realized through its luxurious production values, meticulous printing, and collaboration with the greatest creative minds of its time.
About the Artist:
Hans Jean Arp (1886–1966), also known as Jean Arp, was a Franco-German sculptor, painter, poet, and theorist whose lyrical abstraction and biomorphic forms profoundly shaped the evolution of modern art, bridging Dada, Surrealism, and Constructivism while laying the groundwork for later movements such as Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism. Born in Strasbourg, Arp co-founded the Dada movement in Zurich in 1916 with Hugo Ball, Tristan Tzara, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, and Marcel Duchamp, creating art that celebrated spontaneity, chance, and the organic rhythms of nature as an antidote to rationalism and war. Rejecting rigid systems, Arp embraced intuition and accident, producing poetic collages and reliefs that seemed to grow naturally, embodying his belief that “art is a fruit that grows in man, like a fruit on a plant.” In Paris, he became part of the avant-garde alongside Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, and Man Ray, all of whom shared his search for a universal visual language rooted in emotion and form. His collaboration and marriage with Sophie Taeuber-Arp produced groundbreaking works uniting painting, sculpture, textiles, and architecture, anticipating the interdisciplinary ideals of the Bauhaus. During the 1920s and 1930s, Arp’s wooden reliefs and plaster sculptures evolved into pure biomorphism—undulating, organic shapes that blurred the boundary between abstraction and life itself. His philosophy of natural order influenced generations of artists, from Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth to Ellsworth Kelly, Isamu Noguchi, and Jean (Hans) Hartung, while his belief in chance as a creative force inspired later innovators like Jackson Pollock, John Cage, and the Fluxus movement. Arp’s postwar sculptures in bronze and marble embodied serene, monumental simplicity, reflecting his faith in balance and regeneration, and in 1954 he received the Grand Prize for Sculpture at the Venice Biennale. His writings and poetry, like his sculpture, explored themes of unity and growth, expressing a cosmic harmony between humanity and nature. Represented in the world’s greatest museums—including MoMA, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, and the Guggenheim—Arp’s art remains a testament to the enduring power of organic abstraction. Standing alongside Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, Hans Jean Arp endures as one of modernism’s purest and most poetic voices—a sculptor of living form whose work continues to inspire artists and collectors across generations. His highest auction record was achieved by Demeter (1960), which sold for 5.825 million USD at Sotheby’s, New York, on May 15, 2018, reaffirming his status as one of the most visionary, influential, and collectible sculptors of the 20th century.
Hans Jean Arp Composition sur fond bleu Derriere le miroir No. 21-22, Arp Mourlot Freres, Arp Maeght Editeur, Arp velin paper, Arp collectible lithograph.
- Creator:Hans Jean Arp (1886 - 1966, French)
- Creation Year:1949
- Dimensions:Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Southampton, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1465216414852
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