Jean Arp

Date of Birth: September 16, 1886

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: June 7, 1966

Biography

Jean Arp, also known as Hans Arp, was a pioneering sculptor, painter, and poet, born on September 16, 1886, in Strasbourg, which at the time was part of the German Empire. He was a major figure in the European avant-garde movement and is best known for his abstract sculptures, which are characterized by their organic forms and fluid lines. Arp began his artistic career studying at the Strasbourg School of Arts and Crafts from 1904 to 1908 and later at the Weimar Academy. He moved to Paris in 1911, where he became involved with the artistic community, including the Dada movement, which he co-founded with Hugo Ball and Richard Huelsenbeck in Zürich in 1916. An advocate for breaking away from traditional artistic norms, Arp’s work often transcended conventional boundaries, embracing chance and spontaneity. Throughout his career, Arp collaborated with several other influential artists, including Sophie Taeuber-Arp, whom he married in 1922. The couple’s partnership was both personal and professional, and they worked together on various projects until her untimely death in 1943. In the 1930s, Arp became associated with the Surrealist movement and continued to develop his distinctive style of abstract, biomorphic forms. His work gained international recognition, and he participated in numerous exhibitions worldwide. After World War II, Arp settled in Clamart, France, where he continued to create art until his death on June 7, 1966.

5 Interesting Facts about Jean Arp

1. Jean Arp was a co-founder of the Dada movement, which emerged as a reaction to the horrors of World War I and sought to challenge the conventions of the art world.

2. Arp was multilingual and was fluent in French, German, and Alsatian, reflecting the diverse cultural influences of his birthplace, Strasbourg.

3. He was married to Sophie Taeuber-Arp, an influential artist in her own right, and together they created numerous collaborative works that blurred the lines between different artistic disciplines.

4. Arp was awarded the Grand Prize for Sculpture at the Venice Biennale in 1954, cementing his status as a leading figure in modern art.

5. His work is represented in major museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Modern in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Jean Arp

1. “Art is a fruit that grows in man, like a fruit on a plant, or a child in its mother’s womb.”

2. “Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation.”

3. “Dada intended to destroy the reasonable deceptions of man and recover the natural and unreasonable order.”

4. “Sculpture should walk on the tips of its toes, unburdened by its own weight.”

5. “We do not want to copy nature. We do not want to reproduce, we want to produce. We want to produce like a plant that produces a fruit and not to reproduce itself.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Jean Arp’s highest net worth is difficult to quantify precisely, but his works have fetched millions at auctions posthumously. His sculptures and art pieces are highly valued in the art market.