By Alexander Calder
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Alexander Calder (1898–1976), titled Composition aux Spirales (Composition with Spirals), from the folio Derriere le miroir, No. 173, originates from the 1968 edition published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1968. Composition aux Spirales exemplifies Calder’s mastery of rhythm and form, translating his sculptural language of balance and motion into vivid, dynamic compositions on paper that capture his signature sense of energy and harmony.
Executed as a lithograph on velin paper, this work measures 15 x 22 inches, with centerfold, as issued. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of Mourlot Freres, Paris.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Alexander Calder (1898–1976)
Title: Composition aux Spirales (Composition with Spirals), from the folio Derriere le miroir, No. 173
Medium: Lithograph on velin paper
Dimensions: 15 x 22 inches (38.1 x 55.88 cm), with centerfold, as issued
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1968
Publisher: Maeght Editeur, Paris
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the folio Derriere le miroir, No. 173, published by Maeght Editeur, Paris; printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1968
Notes:
Excerpted from the folio (translated from French), The illustrations in this issue are original lithographs by Alexander Calder drawn in the workshops of the Arte printing shop. This issue of "Behind the Mirror" has a luxury edition drawn on velin de Lana and limited to CL examples numbered and signed by the artist on the colophon. The text of G. Carandente was translated from Italian by Alain Veinstein.
About the Publication:
Derriere le miroir (Behind the Mirror) was one of the most important art publications of the 20th century, created and published by Maeght Editeur in Paris from 1946 to 1982. Founded by the visionary art dealer and publisher Aime Maeght, the series served as both an exhibition catalogue and a work of art in its own right, uniting original lithographs by leading modern and contemporary artists with critical essays, poetry, and design of the highest quality. Printed by master lithographers such as Mourlot Freres and Arte, Derriere le miroir became synonymous with the artistic vanguard of postwar Europe. Each issue was devoted to a single artist or theme and published to accompany exhibitions at the Galerie Maeght in Paris, featuring works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Joan Miro, Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder, Fernand Leger, and Alberto Giacometti, among others. The publication reflected Maeght’s belief that art should be both accessible and elevated—an ideal realized through its luxurious production values, meticulous printing, and collaboration with the greatest creative minds of its time.
About the Artist:
Alexander Calder (1898–1976) was an American sculptor, painter, and printmaker whose pioneering innovations in kinetic art revolutionized 20th-century sculpture and transformed modern visual language. Born in Lawnton, Pennsylvania, into a family of artists, Calder initially trained as a mechanical engineer at the Stevens Institute of Technology before turning to art at the Art Students League in New York—a combination of technical precision and creative imagination that defined his career. Moving to Paris in 1926, he immersed himself in the avant-garde and formed friendships with Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Salvador Dali, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, whose ideas profoundly shaped his artistic philosophy. From Picasso, he absorbed structural invention; from Miro, lyrical abstraction; from Kandinsky, spiritual geometry; and from Duchamp and Man Ray, the courage to merge intellect and play. In Paris, Calder created his famous Cirque Calder, a miniature mechanical circus that introduced motion and performance as central components of sculpture, and by the early 1930s, he invented the mobile—a term coined by Duchamp—to describe his delicately balanced, moving sculptures that responded to air currents. Later, Jean Arp would name his stationary counterparts stabiles. These two inventions—sculptures that could either float and spin gracefully or stand monumentally still—transformed art into a dynamic dialogue between movement, balance, and space. Calder’s signature forms, painted in vivid reds, blacks, blues, and yellows, embodied both joy and precision, creating an art that was at once abstract, organic, and deeply human. Like Kandinsky and Miro, he viewed art as a form of rhythm and emotion; like Duchamp, he embraced innovation and humor; and like Giacometti and Dali, he was fascinated by perception, structure, and the unseen forces of motion. His monumental public sculptures—such as La Grande Vitesse (1969) in Grand Rapids and Flamingo (1973) in Chicago—redefined public art as a symbol of civic optimism and modern progress. A key bridge between European modernism and American abstraction, Calder’s influence extended to artists including Jean Tinguely, George Rickey, Donald Judd, Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Serra, and Olafur Eliasson, whose works in kinetic and spatial art continue to echo his vision. His gouaches, prints, and jewelry carried the same balance and movement as his sculptures, revealing a unified language of rhythm across media. Represented in every major modern museum—including MoMA, the Guggenheim, the Tate, and the Centre Pompidou—Calder remains celebrated for merging engineering, color, and poetry into an art of pure equilibrium. Standing alongside Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, he remains one of the cornerstones of modern art—a visionary whose works breathe with motion, grace, and joy. His highest auction record was achieved by Poisson Volant (Flying Fish) (1957), which sold for $25.9 million at Christie’s, New York, on May 15, 2014, reaffirming Alexander Calder’s enduring legacy as one of the most inventive, dynamic, and collectible artists in the history of modern art.
Alexander Calder Composition...
Category
1960s Surrealist Art
