Alexander Calder

United States  • 1898  - 1976

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

Print

Painting

Albi, Alexander Calder

Albi

Alexander Calder

Print - 32.3 x 24.2 x 0.2 inch

$6,015

Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Painting - 29.1 x 41.5 inch

$198,493

Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Print - 29.4 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch

$6,562 $4,921

Sala Gaspar, Alexander Calder

Sala Gaspar

Alexander Calder

Print - 25.6 x 19.7 inch

$2,953

Freekles, Alexander Calder

Freekles

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.5 x 28.3 inch

$3,664

Galactic System, Alexander Calder

Galactic System

Alexander Calder

Print - 8 x 11.3 x 0.4 inch

$16,500

Cinq Boules et Deux Serpents, Alexander Calder

Cinq Boules et Deux Serpents

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.5 x 28.75 inch

$12,500

Le Point de Non-Retour, Alexander Calder

Le Point de Non-Retour

Alexander Calder

Print - 20 x 28.25 x 1 inch

$17,500

Potpourri en Ciel, Alexander Calder

Potpourri en Ciel

Alexander Calder

Print - 29 x 21.75 inch

$12,500

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

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

Alexander Calder

Print - 15.2 x 11 inch

$1,312

Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Painting - 19.7 x 27.6 inch

$132,329

Os et Serpent, Alexander Calder

Os et Serpent

Alexander Calder

Print - 29.5 x 21.7 inch

$5,796

Portrait de Constantin Tacou, Alexander Calder

Portrait de Constantin Tacou

Alexander Calder

Print - 26 x 19.7 inch

$2,734

Lunar View, Alexander Calder

Lunar View

Alexander Calder

Print - 19.2 x 25.6 inch

$4,921

La scie et les boules, Alexander Calder

La scie et les boules

Alexander Calder

Print - 25.6 x 19.6 inch

$4,921

Portrait de Constantin Tacou, Alexander Calder

Portrait de Constantin Tacou

Alexander Calder

Print - 19.3 x 13.4 inch

$2,187

Spirals and Forms, Alexander Calder

Spirals and Forms

Alexander Calder

Print - 26 x 38 x 1 inch

$17,500

Landscape, Alexander Calder

Landscape

Alexander Calder

Print - 30.25 x 44 x 1 inch

$16,500

Seahorse, Alexander Calder

Seahorse

Alexander Calder

Print - 29.5 x 21.25 x 1 inch

$17,000

Caracol, Alexander Calder

Caracol

Alexander Calder

Print - 24.5 x 25.5 x 1 inch

$11,500

Black lines, Alexander Calder

Black lines

Alexander Calder

Print - 22 x 30 inch

$15,500

Santa Claus, Alexander Calder

Santa Claus

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 x 0 inch

$1,476 $1,329

From D.L.M. (3 joueurs de cartes), Alexander Calder

From D.L.M. (3 joueurs de cartes)

Alexander Calder

Print - 15.2 x 11 inch

$1,312

Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Print - 25.6 x 19.6 inch

$5,796

Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Print - 25.6 x 19.6 inch

$6,562

Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Print - 25.6 x 19.6 inch

$5,796

Untitled, Alexander Calder

Untitled

Alexander Calder

Painting - 22.8 x 30.3 inch

$148,870

Chevrons noir sur rouge et jaune, Alexander Calder

Chevrons noir sur rouge et jaune

Alexander Calder

Print - 24.2 x 35 inch

$7,437

Red and Blue spirals with sun, Alexander Calder

Red and Blue spirals with sun

Alexander Calder

Print - 21.7 x 29.5 inch

$6,616

Santa Klaus 1, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 1

Alexander Calder

Print - 26.4 x 20.1 inch

$1,640

Santa Klaus 5, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 5

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 inch

$1,969

Une famille de là-bas, Alexander Calder

Une famille de là-bas

Alexander Calder

Print - 21.1 x 29.9 inch

$3,664

Santa Claus, Alexander Calder

Santa Claus

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 x 0 inch

$1,476 $1,329

Santa Claus, Alexander Calder

Santa Claus

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 x 0 inch

$1,476

Fish And pyramids, Alexander Calder

Fish And pyramids

Alexander Calder

Print - 23 x 30.7 x 0.4 inch

$7,109

Dice, Alexander Calder

Dice

Alexander Calder

Painting - 37 x 51 x 1 inch

$450,000

Snakes, Alexander Calder

Snakes

Alexander Calder

Print - 22.75 x 30.63 inch

$12,995

Santa Klaus 2, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 2

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.9 x 26 inch

$1,969

Santa Klaus 4, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 4

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 inch

$1,640

Santa Klaus 3, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 3

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 inch

$1,969

Santa Klaus 8, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 8

Alexander Calder

Print - 26.4 x 20.1 inch

$1,969

Fête de L'Humanité, Alexander Calder

Fête de L'Humanité

Alexander Calder

Print - 32 x 22.5 x 0.1 inch

$1,500

Santa Claus, Alexander Calder

Santa Claus

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 x 0 inch

$1,476 $1,329

Enfoncez le mot, Alexander Calder

Enfoncez le mot

Alexander Calder

Print - 15 x 11 inch

Sold

Hommage à San Lazzaro, Alexander Calder

Hommage à San Lazzaro

Alexander Calder

Print - 14 x 10.2 x 0.1 inch

Sold

La Vague, Alexander Calder

La Vague

Alexander Calder

Print - 35 x 22.5 x 1 inch

Sold

Acier du constructeur, Alexander Calder

Acier du constructeur

Alexander Calder

Print - 21.5 x 29.5 inch

Sold

Chaussette Rouge, Alexander Calder

Chaussette Rouge

Alexander Calder

Print - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Two half disks, Alexander Calder

Two half disks

Alexander Calder

Print - 29.5 x 43 inch

Sold

Spirale rouge et Bleu, Alexander Calder

Spirale rouge et Bleu

Alexander Calder

Print - 42 x 28.75 inch

Sold

Deux Spirales, Alexander Calder

Deux Spirales

Alexander Calder

Print - 29 x 43.75 inch

Sold

Pennants, Alexander Calder

Pennants

Alexander Calder

Print - 23 x 31 x 1 inch

Sold

Spirals (from the Magie éolienne portfolio), Alexander Calder

Spirals (from the Magie éolienne portfolio)

Alexander Calder

Print - 25.5 x 19.75 inch

Sold

La Fleur (The Flower), Alexander Calder

La Fleur (The Flower)

Alexander Calder

Print - 22.88 x 30.5 inch

Sold

Le Jardin Fantastique, Alexander Calder

Le Jardin Fantastique

Alexander Calder

Print - 23 x 31 inch

Sold

La Fleur (The Flower), Alexander Calder

La Fleur (The Flower)

Alexander Calder

Print - 22.88 x 30.5 inch

Sold

Pinwheels and Pyramids, Alexander Calder

Pinwheels and Pyramids

Alexander Calder

Print - 29.5 x 43.7 x 0.1 inch

Sold

Fish and Pyramids, Alexander Calder

Fish and Pyramids

Alexander Calder

Print - 23 x 31 x 0.4 inch

Sold

Santa Klaus 9, Alexander Calder

Santa Klaus 9

Alexander Calder

Print - 20.1 x 26.4 inch

Sold

Seahorse, Alexander Calder

Seahorse

Alexander Calder

Print - 28 x 21 inch

Sold

1 2

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 his 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