Alexander CalderPrelude to the Man Eater, A038491945
1945
About the Item
- Creator:Alexander Calder (1898 - 1976, American)
- Creation Year:1945
- Dimensions:Height: 59 in (149.86 cm)Width: 42 in (106.68 cm)Depth: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Palm Desert, CA
- Reference Number:
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: Palm Desert, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Untitled (Suspended Willow)By Harry BertoiaLocated in Palm Desert, CAA sculpture by Harry Bertoia. "Untitled (Suspended Willow)" is an abstract, steel and steel wire sculpture by Post War artist Harry Bertoia. The willow form is one of Harry Bertoia's...Category
1960s Post-War Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsSteel, Wire
- Sculpture MythiqueBy Jean ArpLocated in Palm Desert, CA"Sculpture Mythique" is a sculpture by Jean Arp. The sculpture is edition II/III. Jean Arp was born Hans Arp on September 16, 1886, in Strassburg. In 1904, after leaving the Ecole des Arts et Métiers, Strasbourg, he visited Paris and published his poetry for the first time. From 1905 to 1907, Arp studied at the Kunstschule, Weimar, and in 1908 went to Paris, where he attended the Académie Julian. In 1909, he moved to Switzerland and in 1911 was a founder of the Moderner Bund group there. The following year, he met Robert and Sonia Delaunay in Paris and Vasily Kandinsky in Munich. Arp participated in the Erste deutsche Herbstsalon in 1913 at the gallery Der Sturm, Berlin. After returning to Paris in 1914, he became acquainted with Guillaume Apollinaire, Max Jacob, Amadeo Modigliani, and Pablo Picasso. In 1915, he moved to Zurich, where he executed collages and tapestries, often in collaboration with his future wife Sophie Taeuber (who became known as Sophie Taeuber-Arp after they married in 1922). In 1916, Hugo Ball...Category
1950s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- DadapBy Frank StellaLocated in Palm Desert, CA"Dadap" is an abstract sculpture made by Frank Stella in 2002, composed of stainless steel and aluminum. The artwork size is 66 1/2 x 50 1/4 x 19 inches. This work is a part of Stel...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsStainless Steel
- UntitledLocated in Palm Desert, CA"Untitled" is a cast metal sculpture made by Italian/American architect and urban planner, Paolo Soleri. The total size is 9 1/2 x 6 x 3 inches. The work is stamped by the artist. S...Category
20th Century Abstract Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsMetal
- UntitledBy Robert AdamsLocated in Palm Desert, CA"Untitled" is a bronze sculpture made by Robert Adams in 1979. The work is number 3 from an edition of 6. The artwork size is 29 1/2 x 9 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches. Stamped underneath, "Adam...Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- ArrowheadBy Herb AlpertLocated in Palm Desert, CAA sculpture by Herb Alpert. "Arrowhead" is a bronze, abstract, totem sculpture by contemporary artist Herb Alpert.Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- "Uptown Tapestry " Mixed Media SculptureBy Duane PaulLocated in West Hollywood, CADuane Paul's work can best be characterized as innovative, dynamic and intimate. His sculptures each employ colorful organic shapes, which act as a personal language. The playful and...Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsEnamel, Wire
- Collaged Geometric Disc Mobile - Abstract, Colourful, Canvas and Board MobileBy Aron HillLocated in Bloomfield, ONDynamic and whimsical, Aron Hill’s mobile is a joyful contemporary kinetic sculpture. Three separate discs are covered in a curated collage of shapes and brilliant colours. The colour profile here is Hill’s characteristically vivid palette-- orange, yellow, blue, red, and green punctuated by black and white. Delicately balanced, the sculpture moves in the air redefining the space and affording the viewer a fresh ‘view’. Mobiles have existed for millennia—at first as windchimes, then re-imagined by Russian sculptors...Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
MaterialsMetal, Wire
- Orí Yucateca, Figurative Sculpture. From the Series SculpturesLocated in Miami Beach, FLOrí Yucateca, 2015 - 2024 by José Ignacio Suarez Solis From the Series Sculptures Carving, assembling and painting (granite, wood, iron, acrylic, zinc plate and copper wire) Size: 19...Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsGranite, Copper, Iron, Wire
- ORÍ GUERREIRA NA LUZ I, Figurative Sculpture. From the Series SculpturesLocated in Miami Beach, FLORÍ GUERREIRA NA LUZ I, 2021 - 2023 by José Ignacio Suarez Solis From the Series Sculptures Carving, assembling and painting (granite, wood, iron, acrylic, zinc plate and copper wire...Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsGranite, Copper, Iron, Wire
- ORÍ GUERREIRA NA LUZ II, Figurative Sculpture. From the Series SculpturesLocated in Miami Beach, FLORÍ GUERREIRA NA LUZ II, 2021 - 2023 by José Ignacio Suarez Solis From the Series Sculptures Carving, assembling and painting (granite, wood, iron, acrylic, zinc plate and copper wir...Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsGranite, Copper, Iron, Wire
- ORÍ GUERREIRA TUPINANDACARU I, Figurative Sculpture. From the Series SculpturesLocated in Miami Beach, FLORÍ GUERREIRA TUPINANDACARU I, 2018 - 2023 by José Ignacio Suarez Solis From the Series Sculptures Carving, assembling and painting (granite, wood, iron, acrylic, zinc plate and copp...Category
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsGranite, Copper, Iron, Wire
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.