Perls Galleries, New York Private Collection, Atlanta (acquired from the above circa 1972) Sotheby’s, New York, 12 November 2015, lot 305 Acquired at the above sale by the present owner
Alexander Calder worked as an abstract sculptor and has been commonly referred to as the creator of the mobile. He employed industrious materials of wire and metal and transformed them into delicate geometric shapes that respond to the wind or float in air. Born into a family of sculptors, Calder created art from childhood and moved to Paris in 1926, where he became a pioneer of the international avant-garde. In addition to his mobiles, Calder produced an array of public constructions worldwide as well as drawings and paintings that feature the same brand of abstraction. Calder was born in Lawnton, Pennsylvania.
signed and dated 'Calder 44' lower right gouache and ink on paper 57.8 x 78.7 cm (22 3/4 x 30 7/8 in.) Executed in 1944, this work is registered in the archives of the Calder Foundation, New York, under application number A06512.