$107,750
Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976) Untitled , circa 1960 Initialed "CA" on the base. Polychromed standing mobile metal sculpture, height 8 in. (20.3 cm). Condition: Wear to surface. Provenance: From the artist to the White family, then to the present owner. N.B. Born to a family of artists, Calder began creating his own works at an early age. He explored several mediums early on, but found that sculpting with wire and metal to be his preferred form of expression. 'In the fall of 1931, a significant turning point in Calder's artistic career occurred when he created his first truly kinetic sculpture…The first of these objects moved by systems of crank and motors, and were dubbed 'mobiles' by Marcel Duchamp…(but) Calder soon abandoned the mechanical aspects of these works when he realized that he could fashion mobiles that would undulate on their own with the air's currents.' (www.calder.org) Calder achieved much success in his early career, his work being shown at galleries in Paris and Berlin as well as in New York. This called for several transatlantic crossings and it was on one of these trips that Calder met his wife Louisa. They were married in 1931. In 1933, they purchased a farmhouse in Roxbury, Connecticut–Calder converted an old icehouse on the property into his workspace. In 1941, the White family moved nearby. Leonie Geddes (White) describes the family's first meeting with Calder: 'We met Calder the first time, when we were flying kites on the hil
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2005-05-20
