Presentation

Alexander Calder, a major sculptor of the abstract movement, was born in Lawton, Pennsylvania, 1898, and passed away in New York, 1976. As a child, Calder enjoyed building things and went on to study mechanical engineering. His engineering background later gave him the knowledge to develop the mechanisms of his sculptures. In 1923, he decided to devote himself fully to art and went to New York in pursuit of fine art studies.

His first freehand drawings depicting athletes, acrobats, and street scenes, which were early indicators of his sculptural style. He drew animals at the zoo and began taking a keen interest in motion, movement, and animation. In 1929, Calder moved to Paris and met some of the most important artists of the time, including Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, and Joan Miró.


Upon seeing Piet Mondrian's colored squares for the first time in 1930, Calder had a genuine revelation. He imagined them floating in space; movement later became the main “material" of his work. He embraced geometric abstraction and produced moving wire sculptures, or "mobiles" as Marcel Duchamp called them. They broke completely with the dense and imposing sculptures of the time as Calder's works are distinguished by their lightness. This marked the beginning of kinetic art; even if Calder's goal was not so much movement yet, but the search for balance, symmetry, silence, lightness, and subtlety.


From 1933 onwards, Alexander Calder's works received critical and public acclaim, particularly his painting "La Fontaine de Mercure", shown at the Universal Exhibition in 1937. In 1952, he received the Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale, and in 1964 the Guggenheim dedicated a major retrospective to him. His influence still resonates in modern days: in 2016, the Tate Modern held a major retrospective on the legendary sculptor.


Read more
All artworks of Alexander Calder

Filter by :

Print

Painting

Print, Couleurs au Choix, Alexander Calder

Couleurs au Choix

Alexander Calder

Print - 24 x 30 x 0.8 inch

£4,915

Painting, Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Painting - 29.1 x 41.5 inch

£161,581

Print, From D.L.M. (joueur de cartes), Alexander Calder

From D.L.M. (joueur de cartes)

Alexander Calder

Print - 15.2 x 11 inch

£1,068

Print, Comètes, Alexander Calder

Comètes

Alexander Calder

Print - 26.8 x 21.7 x 0.2 inch

£4,273

Print, Santa Claus, Alexander Calder

Santa Claus

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 x 0 inch

£1,202

Print, Spirale millepiedi, Alexander Calder

Spirale millepiedi

Alexander Calder

Print - 33.1 x 22.3 inch

£4,051

Print, Santa Claus, Alexander Calder

Santa Claus

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 x 0 inch

£1,202

Print, Santa Claus, Alexander Calder

Santa Claus

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 x 0 inch

£1,202

Print, Portrait de Constantin Tacou, Alexander Calder

Portrait de Constantin Tacou

Alexander Calder

Print - 19.3 x 13.4 inch

£1,781

Print, Sala Gaspar, Alexander Calder

Sala Gaspar

Alexander Calder

Print - 25.6 x 19.7 inch

£2,404

Print, Santa Klaus 1, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 1

Alexander Calder

Print - 26.4 x 20.1 inch

£1,335

Print, Santa Klaus 5, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 5

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 inch

£1,602

Print, Girandola, Alexander Calder

Girandola

Alexander Calder

Print - 29.7 x 22 inch

£4,629

Print, Derriere Le Miroir, Alexander Calder

Derriere Le Miroir

Alexander Calder

Print - 15.4 x 11 x 0.8 inch

£7,888

Print, Albi, Alexander Calder

Albi

Alexander Calder

Print - 32.3 x 24.2 x 0.2 inch

£4,896

Painting, Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 inch

£107,721

Painting, Dice, Alexander Calder

Dice

Alexander Calder

Painting - 37 x 51 x 1 inch

£368,625

Print, Couleurs au Choix., Alexander Calder

Couleurs au Choix.

Alexander Calder

Print - 22.8 x 30.7 x 0 inch

£7,373

Print, Galactic System., Alexander Calder

Galactic System.

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.3 x 28.6 x 0 inch

£10,240

Print, Fiesta., Alexander Calder

Fiesta.

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.5 x 28.3 x 0 inch

£10,240

Print, Galaxy Composition., Alexander Calder

Galaxy Composition.

Alexander Calder

Print - 29.5 x 41.3 x 0 inch

£9,420

Print, Inspiration, Alexander Calder

Inspiration

Alexander Calder

Print - 25.5 x 19.8 x 0 inch

£10,240

Print, Lunar View, Alexander Calder

Lunar View

Alexander Calder

Print - 19.2 x 25.6 inch

£4,006

Print, La scie et les boules, Alexander Calder

La scie et les boules

Alexander Calder

Print - 25.6 x 19.6 inch

£4,006

Print, Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Print - 25.6 x 19.6 inch

£5,342

Print, Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Print - 25.6 x 19.6 inch

£4,718

Painting, Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Painting - 22.8 x 30.3 inch

£121,186

Print, Red and Blue spirals with sun, Alexander Calder

Red and Blue spirals with sun

Alexander Calder

Print - 21.7 x 29.5 inch

£5,386

Print, Os et Serpent, Alexander Calder

Os et Serpent

Alexander Calder

Print - 29.5 x 21.7 inch

£4,718

Print, Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Print - 25.6 x 19.6 inch

£4,718

Print, Une famille de là-bas, Alexander Calder

Une famille de là-bas

Alexander Calder

Print - 21.1 x 29.9 inch

£2,982

Print, Les Pyramides Grandes, Alexander Calder

Les Pyramides Grandes

Alexander Calder

Print - 29.5 x 43 x 0.1 inch

£9,830

Print, Constantin Tacou, Alexander Calder

Constantin Tacou

Alexander Calder

Print - 26.4 x 20.1 x 0.4 inch

£1,736

Print, Santa Claus, Alexander Calder

Santa Claus

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 x 0 inch

£1,202

Print, Santa Klaus 2, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 2

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.9 x 26 inch

£1,602

Print, Santa Klaus 4, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 4

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 inch

£1,335

Print, Santa Klaus 3, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 3

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 inch

£1,602

Print, Santa Klaus 8, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 8

Alexander Calder

Print - 26.4 x 20.1 inch

£1,602

Print, Fête de L'Humanité, Alexander Calder

Fête de L'Humanité

Alexander Calder

Print - 32 x 22.5 x 0.1 inch

£1,229

Print, Lettre "Z", Alexander Calder

Lettre "Z"

Alexander Calder

Print - 11.8 x 9.3 x 0 inch

£801

Print, Humanité, Alexander Calder

Humanité

Alexander Calder

Print - 35 x 22 inch

Sold

Print, Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Print - 29.4 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch

Sold

Print, Hommage à San Lazzaro, Alexander Calder

Hommage à San Lazzaro

Alexander Calder

Print - 14 x 10.2 x 0.1 inch

Sold

Print, Santa Klaus 9, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 9

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 inch

Sold

Print, Freekles, Alexander Calder

Freekles

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.5 x 28.3 inch

Sold

Print, Red Boomerang, Alexander Calder

Red Boomerang

Alexander Calder

Print - 17.9 x 22.2 inch

Sold

Print, Black Spiral, Alexander Calder

Black Spiral

Alexander Calder

Print - 35 x 23.5 x 0 inch

Sold

Print, Acier du constructeur, Alexander Calder

Acier du constructeur

Alexander Calder

Print - 21.5 x 29.5 inch

Sold

Print, Chaussette Rouge, Alexander Calder

Chaussette Rouge

Alexander Calder

Print - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Discover our selections of works by artists

Need help finding your favorite? Consult our selection pages made for you.
Need to know more?

Who is the artist?

Alexander Calder, a major sculptor of the abstract movement, was born in Lawton, Pennsylvania, 1898, and passed away in New York, 1976. As a child, Calder enjoyed building things and went on to study mechanical engineering. His engineering background later gave him the knowledge to develop the mechanisms of his sculptures. In 1923, he decided to devote himself fully to art and went to New York in pursuit of fine art studies.

His first freehand drawings depicting athletes, acrobats, and street scenes, which were early indicators of his sculptural style. He drew animals at the zoo and began taking a keen interest in motion, movement, and animation. In 1929, Calder moved to Paris and met some of the most important artists of the time, including Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, and Joan Miró.


Upon seeing Piet Mondrian's colored squares for the first time in 1930, Calder had a genuine revelation. He imagined them floating in space; movement later became the main “material" of his work. He embraced geometric abstraction and produced moving wire sculptures, or "mobiles" as Marcel Duchamp called them. They broke completely with the dense and imposing sculptures of the time as Calder's works are distinguished by their lightness. This marked the beginning of kinetic art; even if Calder's goal was not so much movement yet, but the search for balance, symmetry, silence, lightness, and subtlety.


From 1933 onwards, Alexander Calder's works received critical and public acclaim, particularly his painting "La Fontaine de Mercure", shown at the Universal Exhibition in 1937. In 1952, he received the Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale, and in 1964 the Guggenheim dedicated a major retrospective to him. His influence still resonates in modern days: in 2016, the Tate Modern held a major retrospective on the legendary sculptor.

What are their 3 main works?

What is Alexander Calder’s artistic movement?

The artistic movements of the artists are: Geometric Sculptors

When was Alexander Calder born?

The year of birth of the artist is: 1898