Conceived in 1957 and executed in an edition of 2. The present work number 1 from the edition.

 In the last decade of his life, Jean (Hans) Arp created a series of works in brass he titled Découpage, or cut-outs. Combining the flatness of his Dada-period paper cut-outs and the three dimensionality of his reliefs, these works show Arp working in a purely abstract idiom, yet their forms, as well as their titles, often point to the natural world as their inspiration. The irregular, gently undulating outline of Découpage no. 6 dit Carcasse de nuage is reminiscent of the contours of a cloud, whilst the five hollow shapes have their origin in Arp's experiments with the collage and découpage techniques. With the technique, Arp harnessed the element of chance by allowing the materials to fall randomly on the surface of the support. It was this emphasis on chance and automatism, allowing for spontaneous creation unsuppressed by conscious thought, that aligned Arp with other Surrealist artists.

The first recorded owner of Découpage no. 6 dit Carcasse de nuage was the American sculptor Mary Callery (1903–1977), who was part of the New York School movement from the 1940s and who, upon moving to Paris, befriended artists including Picasso, Matisse, Léger, Calder and Arp.