This exquisite lithograph and pochoir by Hans Jean Arp (1886–1966), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, No. 6 (double), Janvier 1956, originates from the 1956 edition published by Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris, and printed by Atelier Daniel Jacomet et Cie, Paris, 1956. Sans titre reflects Arps poetic biomorphism and intuitive abstraction during a period defined by his ongoing exploration of natural form, chance, and organic rhythm.
Executed as a lithograph and pochoir on velin paper, this work measures 12.5 x 9.75 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of Atelier Daniel Jacomet et Cie, Paris
Artwork Details:
Artist: Hans Jean Arp (1886–1966)
Title: Sans titre (Untitled)
Medium: Lithograph and pochoir on velin paper
Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.75 inches (31.75 x 24.77 cm)
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1956
Publisher: Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris, under the direction of Gualtieri di San Lazzaro, editeur, Paris
Printer: Atelier Daniel Jacomet et Cie, Paris
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the album XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, No. 6 (double), Janvier 1956, published by Societe Internationale dArt XXe Siecle, Paris; printed by Atelier Daniel Jacomet et Cie, Paris, 1956
About the Publication:
Gualtieri di San Lazzaros XXe Siecle (Twentieth Century) was one of the most influential art journals of the modern era, founded in Paris in 1938 as a platform for the greatest painters, sculptors, and writers of the 20th century. San Lazzaro, a visionary editor, critic, and champion of modernism, believed that art and literature should coexist as expressions of a shared human imagination. Under his direction, XXe Siecle became a cultural bridge between Europe and the wider world, publishing special issues devoted to leading figures such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Braque, Calder, Miro, Kandinsky, and Leger. Each edition combined essays by renowned critics and poets with original lithographs and woodcuts printed by the foremost ateliers of Paris, Milan, and New York, including Mourlot, Curwen, and Amilcare Pizzi, creating a uniquely rich dialogue between text and image. The 1960 issue, XXe Siecle, Nouvelle serie, No. 14, showcased Daphnis et Chloe, one of Chagalls most celebrated lithographic subjects, coinciding with his work on the monumental suite of lithographs inspired by the same pastoral tale, published by Teriade. Through this publication, San Lazzaro further cemented Chagalls reputation as the modern poet of color and love, uniting myth, nature, and emotion in visual form. Today, XXe Siecle remains an essential record of 20th century modernism, celebrated for its seamless integration of fine art, literature, and design.
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, Arps 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. Arps 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 worlds greatest museums including MoMA, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, and the Guggenheim Arps 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 modernisms 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 Sothebys, 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 XXe Siecle 1956, Arp pochoir, Arp Sans titre.
