A cartoonish tooth-like form and a fork float against a roughly oval field in this abstracted wooden sculpture. Presumably the shirt front of the sculpture's title, the tooth-like form takes up the left half of the composition. It has a rounded top with two pointed root-like legs below, and has two dots like eyes near the top. The fork to our right points downward and the four tines are cut off by the bottom edge of the composition. The shirt front, dots, and fork are carved and painted nickel gray so they look like thick outlines in low relief. The background to our left and over the shirt front is black. The area between the shirt front and fork is dark gray, and the field to our right of the fork is silvery gray. The sculpture hangs on a white wall, and it casts a narrow shadow from the bottom edge.

Jean Arp, Shirt Front and Fork, 1922, painted wood, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 1983.3.1

Jean Arp’s Shirt Front and Fork

Sketchbook Club

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Fun for Kids
Virtual
Registration Required

Join us as we sketch inspired by Jean Arp’s Shirt Front and Fork.

This is one club where you don’t need a membership to join! National Gallery of Art teaching artists lead free, 30-minute sketches inspired by works of art from the National Gallery’s collection. Add new drawings to your sketchbook or just doodle along with us as we explore a different prompt each session.

All you need are a pencil and paper. We encourage you to bring colored pencils, crayons, markers, or paints as well, but these are optional. Sketchbook Club is recommended for families with children of all ages.

Registration is required.