Alexander CalderAlexander Calder - Original Lithograph - Behind the Mirror1976
1976
About the Item
- Creator:Alexander Calder (1898 - 1976, American)
- Creation Year:1976
- Dimensions:Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)Width: 11.03 in (28 cm)Depth: 0.04 in (1 mm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU16122348541
Alexander Calder
The American sculptor Alexander Calder is known as the father of the mobile, a moving artwork composed of delicately balanced sculptural forms suspended from the ceiling.
Because Calder's parents, both artists themselves, did not want him to suffer the hardships of trying to make a living in art, they encouraged the young Calder to study mechanical engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology, in Hoboken, New Jersey. He worked a number of jobs, including as a hydraulic engineer and draftsman for the New York Edison Company, before deciding to pursue an artistic career. He never abandoned his engineering background, however, applying his understanding of gears and moving parts in all his artworks, from mechanical toys like the Cirque Calder (1931) and his revered prints to his free-standing abstract sculptures, called stabiles.
In 1926, Calder moved to Paris and established a studio in the Montparnasse quarter. He began creating the many parts of his famous miniature circus from found materials, such as wire, string, cloth, rubber and cork. Designed to be transportable, Cirque grew to fill five suitcases over the years. Always interested in putting forms in motion, Calder also pioneered a new art form called wire sculptures, which he described as “drawings in space.” Like his famous mobiles, the wire sculptures were suspended so that they turned with any movement of the air, presenting different forms when viewed from different angles.
In the 1950s, Calder returned to his roots in mechanical engineering, creating monumental abstract sculptures that verged on the architectural. He worked from loose gestural drawings like this preparatory sketch for his Man Stabile, from 1966. Throughout his career, he also worked as a set designer for the theater, as well as an illustrator and printmaker, producing vibrant, whimsical drawings for books and journals.
Find original Alexander Calder art today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, Switzerland
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Valerio Adami - Jacques Derrida - Original Signed LithographBy Valerio AdamiLocated in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CHValerio Adami Jacques Derrida's Portrait Original Signed Lithograph Signed and Numbered Dimensions: 90 x 60 cm Edition: 50Category
Early 2000s Modern Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Marc Chagall - Meeting of Ruth and Boaz - Original LithographBy Marc ChagallLocated in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CHMarc Chagall, Original Lithograh depicting an instant of the Bible. Technique: Original lithograph in colours (Mourlot no. 234) On the reverse: another black and white original litho...Category
1960s Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Jean Cocteau - Antigone - Original LithographBy Jean CocteauLocated in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CHOriginal Lithograph by Jean Cocteau Title: Antigone From "Théâtre" Portfolio, 1957 Edition: 207 / 8800 Dimensions: 22.5 x 15.5 cm Jean Cocteau Writer, artist and film director Jean Cocteau was one of the most influential creative figures in the Parisian avant-garde between the two World Wars. “The poet never asks for admiration; he wants to be believed.” —Jean Cocteau Synopsis Jean Cocteau was born on July 5, 1889, in Maisons-Laffitte, France. He spent most of his life in Paris, where he became part of the artistic avant-garde and was known for his variety of accomplishments. Over a 50-year career, he wrote poetry, novels and plays; created illustrations, paintings and other art objects; and directed influential films, including The Beauty and the Beast and Orpheus. He died on October 11, 1963. Early Life and Literary Debut Jean Cocteau was born on July 5, 1889, in Maisons-Laffitte, France, a village 12 miles outside Paris, to Georges and Eugénie (née) Lecomte Cocteau. He and his two older siblings were brought up in comfortable household in Paris, where they were introduced to the arts by their parents. Their father, a lawyer and amateur artist, committed suicide in 1898. After his father's death, Cocteau was raised by his mother and his maternal grandfather. He attended school at the Lycée de Condorcet in Paris and he showed an early talent for writing. When he was just 18, his poetry was read aloud in performance arranged by the well-known actor Edouard de Max, and he became the toast of literary Paris. His first book of poems, La Lampe d'Aladin (Aladdin's Lamp), was published a year later, in 1909. Cocteau and the Parisian Avant-Garde In the 1910s, Cocteau formed friendships with many prominent members of the Parisian avant-garde, including writer Guillaume Apollinaire and artists Amedeo Modigliani and Pablo Picasso. He was so impressed by seeing the dancer Vaslav Nijinsky perform with the Ballets Russes that he met the company's founder, Sergei Diaghilev, and asked to work with him. Cocteau designed posters for the Ballets Russe, and in 1917 he was one of the collaborators on the ballet Parade: Cocteau wrote the story, Erik Satie composed the music, Léonide Massine choreographed the dance and Picasso designed the set and costumes. Cocteau's activities of the 1920s were remarkably varied. He composed opera libretti for several composers. He published collections of poetry and illustrations as well as a novel inspired by his experiences during World War I. He staged a ballet called Le Boeuf Sur le Toit (The Ox on the Roof) and directed modern adaptations of several classic dramas. He promoted the work of young writer Raymond Radiguet...Category
1950s Modern Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Alexander Calder - Original Lithograph - Behind the MirrorBy Alexander CalderLocated in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CHAlexander Calder - Original Lithograph - Behind the Mirror 1 Original lithograph created in 1976 Framed Dimensions: 38 x 28 cm Source: Derrière le miroir (DLM), n°221, 1976 Alexand...Category
1970s Modern Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Pablo Picasso - The Painter - Original LithographBy Pablo PicassoLocated in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CHPablo Picasso - Original Lithograph Title: Painter and his Model From the illustrated book "Regards sur Paris" (Paris: André Sauret, 1962) Edition of 180 Individual prints were not s...Category
1960s Modern Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Jean Dubuffet - original lithograph from XXe Siecle magazineBy Jean DubuffetLocated in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CHJean Dubuffet - Original Lithograph from XXe Siecle magazine 1958 Dimensions: 32 x 25 cm Edition: G. di San Lazzaro. Unsigned and unumbered as issuedCategory
1960s Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Japanese General - Lithograph by Auguste Wahlen - 1844Located in Roma, ITJapanese General is a lithograph made by Auguste Wahlen in 1844. Hand colored. Good condition. At the center of the artwork is the original title "General Japonais". The work is ...Category
1840s Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Ainos - Lithograph by Auguste Wahlen - 1844Located in Roma, ITAinos is a lithograph made by Auguste Wahlen in 1844. Hand colored. Good condition. At the center of the artwork is the original title "Ainos". The work is part of Suite Moeurs, ...Category
1840s Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Alfred Bendiner, ...And So..., 1948, Republican Convention nominating DeweyBy Alfred BendinerLocated in New York, NYThe full title really should be ...And So I Give Your The Next President of the United States. The scene is the Republican Convention, in Philadelphia, in 1948. There are so many fas...Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Family of Japanese Fishermen - Lithograph by Auguste Wahlen - 1844Located in Roma, ITFamily of Japanese Fishermen is a lithograph made by Auguste Wahlen in 1844. Hand colored. Good condition. At the center of the artwork is the original title "Famille de Pecheurs ...Category
1840s Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Figure - Lithograph by Alfonso Avanessian - 1989Located in Roma, ITFigure is an original lithograph on ivory-colored cardboard, realized by Alfonso Avanessian in 1989. Hand-signed and unnumbered, on the lower righ...Category
1980s Modern Portrait Prints
MaterialsLithograph
- Japanese Rider - Lithograph by Auguste Wahlen - 1844Located in Roma, ITJapanese Rider is a lithograph made by Auguste Wahlen in 1844. Hand colored. Good condition. At the center of the artwork is the original title "Cavalier Japonais". The work i...Category
1840s Modern Figurative Prints
MaterialsLithograph
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Renowned for His Mobiles, Alexander Calder Was Also Adept at Crafting Modernist Jewelry
There are no sparkling gemstones on this necklace, but its value far exceeds the cost of its materials.
10 Must-Visit American Public Sculptures
Get your dose of Vitamin D while surveying works by the likes of Alexander Calder, Keith Haring and Pablo Picasso.