Items Similar to Mer De Sable By Alexander Calder
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 9
Alexander CalderMer De Sable By Alexander Calder1975
1975
About the Item
Alexander Calder
1898 – 1976 American
Mer de sable
(Sea of sand)
Gouache and ink on paper
Signed and dated with artist’s monogram “CA and ‘75” (lower right)
This vibrant gouache and ink on paper is the work of esteemed modern master, Alexander Calder. Celebrated for his innovations across multiple mediums, Calder demonstrated his unique understanding of space not only in his revolutionary sculptural mobiles, but also in paint. The artist’s rare painted works offer an intriguing glimpse into his genius in color theory and preoccupation with geometric space, illustrating his interrogation of spatial planes in a two-dimensional application.
Painted in 1975, this important gouache and ink embodies the playful exuberance and colorful dynamism of Calder’s oeuvre. Toying with flatness and perspective, this composition can be enjoyed as a complete abstraction that investigates the interplay of color and shape. The work’s title, Mer de sable or Sea of sand, however, lends a unique interpretation to the work. Perhaps Calder’s nondescript collection of pyramids and circles is meant to conjure the images of the vast sand-swept deserts of Egypt punctuated by the great Pyramids of Giza, or some other arid locale dotted with ruins of the ancient past. Strategically ambiguous, Calder’s signature style inspires his audience to investigate multiple interpretations.
Today, Calder’s remarkable works can be found in public and private collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Important public commissions by the artist can also be seen in cities throughout the world, and his remarkable oeuvre has been the subject of hundreds of museum exhibitions. Similar paintings by Calder can be found in important museum collections, such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim in New York.
This work is registered in the archives of The Calder Foundation, New York, under application no. A1166.
Dated 1975
Paper: 22 7/8” high by 30 1/2” wide
Frame: 30 3/8” high by 38 3/8” wide by 3/4” deep
Exhibited:
Roslyn Harbor, New York, The Manes Art & Education Center, Nassau County Museum of Art, Selections from the Collection of Dr. Harvey Manes, January 19 - May 12, 2019, no. 1.2019.4.
Roslyn Harbor, New York, The Manes Art & Education Center, Nassau County Museum of Art, Medium as Muse, Watercolor, Oil, Collage, January 18 - September 6, 2020, no. 6.2020.1.
Provenance:
Galerie Maeght, Paris
Ann Kendall Richards Inc., New York
Private Collection, Connecticut, Circa 1975
Sale: Bonhams, New York, May 12, 2016 Private Collection, New York
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
- Creator:Alexander Calder (1898 - 1976, American)
- Creation Year:1975
- Dimensions:Height: 30.88 in (78.44 cm)Width: 38.38 in (97.49 cm)Depth: 0.75 in (1.91 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:New Orleans, LA
- 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.
About the Seller
5.0
Vetted Seller
These experienced sellers undergo a comprehensive evaluation by our team of in-house experts.
Established in 1912
1stDibs seller since 2013
13 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 4 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New Orleans, LA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
More From This SellerView All
- Musiciens Sur Fond Multicolore By Marc ChagallBy Marc ChagallLocated in New Orleans, LAMarc Chagall 1887-1985 Russian Musiciens sur fond multicolore (Musicians on a multicolored background) Signed 'Chag' (on the sleeve of the right figure); stamped with the signature 'Marc Chagall' (lower right) Tempera, gouache, colored ink and India ink and pastel on paper “The fact that I made use of cows, milkmaids, roosters and provincial Russian architecture as my source forms is because they are part of the environment from which I spring and which undoubtedly left the deepest impression on my visual memory of the experiences I have." - Marc Chagall Marc Chagall’s 1981...Category
20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Pastel, Ink, India Ink, Tempera, Gouache
- Les Fleurs Des Amoureux Sur Fond Multicolore By Marc ChagallBy Marc ChagallLocated in New Orleans, LAMarc Chagall 1887-1985 Russian Les fleurs des amoureux sur fond multicolore (Lovers’ flowers on a multicolored background) Stamped with signature “Marc Chagall" (lower left) Gouac...Category
20th Century Post-Impressionist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Tempera, Gouache, Pencil
- Guitare sur un guéridon by Pablo PicassoBy Pablo PicassoLocated in New Orleans, LAPablo Picasso 1881-1973 Spanish Guitare sur un guéridon (Guitar on a pedestal) Gouache on paper laid down on board Signed “Picasso” (upper left) Picasso’s prolific career has been marked by many grand love affairs, both romantic, intellectual and creative. Beyond his lovers like Olga Khoklova and Dora Maar and his intellectual muses like Georges Braques and Gertrude Stein, Picasso’s greatest love and inspiration was perhaps a humble instrument: the guitar. Whether it be the Old Guitarist from his early blue period, his groundbreaking series of three-dimensional guitar sculptures from his nascent explorations in Cubism, or his Mandolin and Guitar composition’s grander explorations with color and biomorphic shapes, the guitar is an elusive calling card for modern art’s greatest genius. In Guitare sur un guéridon, Picasso intertwines his signature guitar and a bowl of fruit. These two elements are playfully brought together and skillfully anchored on the tabletop by a square positioned at the center of the composition. The result is a captivating and harmonious arrangement that showcases Picasso's artistic ingenuity in blending these everyday objects into a visually striking and cohesive composition. This rare gouache was created during the pivotal summer of 1920. During this time, Picasso lived in Juan-les-Pins, a small coastal resort town in the South of France away from the confines of the city and the fallout of World War I. With this newfound freedom, Picasso entered an exciting and innovative creative period and began to interrogate the connections between Neoclassicism and Cubism. Picasso created a series of gouache paintings characterized by their flat, geometric nature, sinuous contours and strikingly vivid colors. Though not a complete departure from his previous Cubist works, this series showcased the influence of the Surrealists, especially the biomorphic subconscious explorations of Joan Miró, upon Picasso’s oeuvre. While the breadth of his creativity grew, he returned back to a familiar motif — the guitar — with a renewed sense of vigor and excitement. Guitare sur un guéridon’s undulating lines and biomorphic appeal bring Picasso's preoccupation with the guitar into deeper focus. The sinuous lines of guitar mirror...Category
20th Century Post-Impressionist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Gouache, Board
- Acte I, La Grande Duchesse By ErtéBy Erte - Romain de TirtoffLocated in New Orleans, LAErté (Romain de Tirtoff) 1892-1990 | Russian-French Acte I, La Grande Duchesse Signed “Erté” (lower right) Inscribed "La Traviata / 1er acte / Entrée des invités / Composition orig...Category
20th Century Art Deco Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Gouache
- Ave Maria by ErtéBy Erte - Romain de TirtoffLocated in New Orleans, LAErté (Romain de Tirtoff) 1892-1990 Russian-French Ave Maria Signed "Erté" (center right) Inscribed "N°1.349 / Victor Herbert Finale / Ave Maria / Décor / G.W.S. 1928" (en verso) Go...Category
20th Century Art Deco Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Gouache
- Grand Bouquet Et Fruits Devant La Fenêtre À Paris By Marc ChagallBy Marc ChagallLocated in New Orleans, LAMarc Chagall 1887-1985 Russian Grand bouquet et fruits devant la fenêtre à Paris (Large bouquet and fruits in front of the window in Paris) Stamped with signature “Marc Chagall" (...Category
20th Century Post-Impressionist Still-life Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Pastel, Gouache
You May Also Like
- Figures in Motion with Roses - Pointillist Figurative AbstractBy Ben BlackLocated in Soquel, CAHighly detailed india ink abstract pointillist drawing of figures and roses with watercolor and gouache by Ben Black (American, 1922-2003), c.1990's. Signed "Ben Black" lower right. ...Category
1990s Pointillist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsIndia Ink, Gouache, Paper, Watercolor
- Color in Motion - Pointillist AbstractBy Ben BlackLocated in Soquel, CAHighly detailed pointillist watercolor and ink drawing featuring dynamic form and color in motion by Ben Black (American, 1922-2003). Unframed. Signed "Ben Black" lower right. Image,...Category
1980s Pointillist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Ink, Watercolor
- French Neo-Impressionist Pointillist Abstract Mid 20th Century PaintingBy Louis BellonLocated in Cirencester, GloucestershirePointillist Abstract Design by Louis Bellon (French 1908-1998) initialled lower right gouache painting on paper, unframed measurements: 8.75 x 6 inches (overall the sheet measures 11...Category
Mid-20th Century Pointillist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsWatercolor, Gouache
- French Neo-Impressionist Pointillist Abstract Mid 20th Century Small PaintingBy Louis BellonLocated in Cirencester, GloucestershirePointillist Abstract Design by Louis Bellon (French 1908-1998) initialled lower right in the image and again in the margin gouache painting on paper, unframed unfinished sketch on th...Category
Mid-20th Century Pointillist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsWatercolor, Gouache
- French Neo-Impressionist Pointillist Abstract Mid 20th Century Signed PaintingBy Louis BellonLocated in Cirencester, GloucestershirePointillist Large Abstract Design by Louis Bellon (French 1908-1998) signed lower left in the image gouache painting on paper, unframed measurements: 16.5 x 10 inches (overall the sh...Category
Mid-20th Century Pointillist Abstract Paintings
MaterialsWatercolor, Gouache
- 'Untitled No. 1', Royal Society of Artists, Edinburgh Academy, Palo AltoBy Thomas GuiseLocated in Santa Cruz, CASigned lower right, 'T.G.M. Guise' for Thomas Gladstone Middleton Guise (Scottish, 1916-1984) and dated 1967. Previously with: Los Robles Gallery, Palo Alto, California. Thomas Guise studied art at Edinburgh College of Art under Thomson Adam Bruce, RSA (1947-1949) before serving with the Royal Artillery between 1939 and 1946. After returning to Scotland, Guise began working professionally as an artist and commenced his fruitful association with the Featherhal Press. Over the course of his career, he was the recipient of numerous prizes, medals and juried awards including the Award for Life Drawing (1947). Guise exhibited internationally with success and was a member of the Royal Society of Arts, the Royal Society of British Artists and the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolor among others. Accompanied by an artist catalogue, 'T.G.M. Guise: Propinquity', Featherhall Press Limited, Edinburgh 1996. Selected Group Shows 1948 - 1984: RBA, RSA, RI, RSW, RGI, SSA, NEAC. Arun Art Centre The Bath Festival Exhibition Selected Solo Shows: 1966 - Randolph Gallery, Edinburgh Festival 1967 - Encina Gallery Stanford University, California, United States 1968 - Los Robles Gallery, Palo Alto, California, United States 1968 - Randolph Gallery Edinburgh Festival 1970 - Clarkson Gallery, Victoria Street...Category
1960s Pointillist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsWatercolor, Pen, Gouache
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.
More Ways To Browse
19th Nineteenth Century Landscape
Jerusalem Wood
Old Wild West Gun
Man Under Water Art
16 X 20 Sea Art
Oil Painting Of Little Girl
New York City And Times Square Painting
Belgium Coast
Child Sculptor Wood
Canal Post
Degenerate Nazi
Hermes Had
Modigliani Original
Naive Style Landscapes
Les Enfants
Grace Jobes
Light Dwell
Johnson Bronze Sculpture