
<p>Jean Arp was a leader in the development of the organic, curving language of biomorphism, which infused Surrealism with forms alluding to growth, fecundity, and the natural world. In the early 1930s, Arp began to translate his abstract style into three-dimensional sculptures, emphasizing the natural processes of metamorphosis in art. The artist often realized his sculptures first in plaster, a medium that responded easily to touch and allowed for the element of chance in the creative process, and later in an edition in different media (often bronze). This sculpture is a unique marble enlargement of Arp’s original plaster. The medium—with its hard, bonelike appearance—emphasizes the human, torsolike forms of <em>Growth</em>.</p>
Catalogue
- Year
- 1938
- Medium
- White marble
- Dimensions
- 109 × 44.5 × 28 cm (43 × 17 1/2 × 11 in.)
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Artist
- Jean (Hans) Arp
Artist

Jean (Hans) Arp
Full artist profile →More
More by Jean (Hans) Arp

Grey and Black
1966 · Color lithograph on white wove paper

Poupée-basset
1965 · Bronze, edition O/5

Composition in a Circle
1962 · Collage of colored construction papers on paper

Torso-Kore
1958 · Bronze, edition 2/5

Composition II
1958 · Color aquatint and etching on ivory wove paper

Composition Gris, Noir, Rouge (Composition Gray, Black, Red)
1958 · Cotton and wool, slit and double interlocking tapestry weave
Record
Verified by Watts Index- Artist
- Jean (Hans) Arp
- Year
- 1938
- Medium
- White marble
- Dimensions
- 109 × 44.5 × 28 cm (43 × 17 1/2 × 11 in.)
- Watts ID
- WW-1938-134657
Source
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Source
- aic
- Reference
- View at source
- Status
- verified