Untitled

Alexander CalderWW-1944-053854

1944·Gouache and watercolor on ivory watercolor paper·57.1 × 79 cm (22 1/2 × 31 1/8 in.)

<p>Alexander Calder combined formal artistic training, a scientific background, and a sense of playfulness to create whimsical constructions in both two and three dimensions. After studying at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, and then at the Art Students League in New York, Calder moved to Paris in 1926. There he associated with members of the European avant-garde, including Joan Miró and Hans Arp. Surrealist, biomorphic abstraction became a mainstay of his work in all media.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1944
Medium: Gouache and watercolor on ivory watercolor paper
Dimensions: 57.1 × 79 cm (22 1/2 × 31 1/8 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Alexander Calder

Artist

Alexander Calder

Sculpture

Alexander Calder (1898–1976) was an American sculptor best known for inventing the mobile, a type of kinetic sculpture made of delicately balanced or suspended components that move in response to air currents. Born in Lawnton, Pennsylvania, into a family of artists, Calder trained as a mechanical engineer before studying painting in New York. He moved to Paris in the late 1920s, where his wire sculptures and miniature circus performances captivated figures like Marcel Duchamp and Joan Miró. His landmark 1931 exhibition introduced abstract mobiles and stabiles — large, static metal sculptures that became permanent features of public spaces worldwide. Calder's work bridged the gap between fine art and engineering, combining bold primary colors with biomorphic forms drawn from the natural world. His monumental commissions include works for UNESCO in Paris, the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, and numerous other institutions. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977.

Lawnton, PA, USA

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