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CALDER, Alexander, The Fisherman, 1961
Alexander Calder was born July 22, 1898, in Lawnton, Pennsylvania, into a family of artists. In 1919, he received an engineering degree from Steven… [Read biography »]
Signed Alexander Calder (1898 - 1976), Unique Original Watercolor, gouache and India ink on artist, The Fisherman, 1961  |
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| Artist: | Calder, Alexander (1898 - 1976) |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Fisherman, 1961 |
| Medium: | Unique Original Watercolor, gouache and India ink on artist |
| Image Size: | 29 1/2 in x 22 in (74.9 cm x 55.9 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | approx. 29 1/2 in x 22 in (74.9 cm x 55.9 cm) |
| Framed Size: | 49 1/2 in x 42 in (125.7 cm x 106.7 cm) |
| Signed: | Hand signed and dated by Alexander Calder (1898 – 1976) in black gouache in the lower right: ‘Calder 61.’ This work is registered as an authentic work by Calder in the archives of the Calder Foundation, New York, under applica |
| Edition: | A unique original work |
| Condition: | This work is in very good condition with bold, bright colors |
Price :Item# 2165 | $90,000  To speak directly with the Director, Alex Adelman, please call (510) 777-9970 / 1-800-805-7060. |
| Description: | |
This work is registered as an authentic work by Alexander Calder (1898 – 1976) in the archives of the Calder Foundation, New York, under application number A13328. Created in 1961, this original watercolor, gouache, and India ink on artist’s board is hand signed by Alexander Calder (1898 – 1976) in black gouache in the lower right. It is also dated ‘61’ in the lower right, next to his signature. A calm and peaceful water scene envelops our intriguing fisherman as he waits patiently for the catch of the day. The myriad of color that is cast on the sky before him can be interpreted duly as sunrise or sunset; regardless, it is the mysterious transition between night and day, light and dark. Calder has masterfully balanced violets, blues, pinks, and greys to create this beautiful work. Three bold spheres accompany our fisherman in the twilight: one presumably is the sun, the other the moon; the yellow sphere could be a blazing star. Catalogue Raisonné & COA: 1) Registered with the Calder Foundation, NY under application number A13328. 2) A Masterworks COA will be included with the sale of this work. About the Framing: | |
Biography of Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder (1898 - 1976)
Alexander Calder was born July 22, 1898, in Lawnton, Pennsylvania, into a family of artists. In 1919, he received an engineering degree from Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken. Calder attended the Art Students League, New York, from 1923 to 1926, studying briefly with Thomas Hart Benton and John Sloan, among others. As a freelance artist for the National Police Gazette in 1925, he spent two weeks sketching at the circus; his fascination with the subject dates from this time. He also made his first sculpture in 1925; the following year he made several constructions of animals and figures with wire and wood. Calder’s first exhibition of paintings took place in 1926 at the Artist’s Gallery, New York. Later that year, he went to Paris and attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. In Paris, he met Stanley William Hayter, exhibited at the 1926 Salon des Indépendants, and in 1927 began giving performances of his miniature circus. The first show of his wire animals and caricature portraits was held at the Weyhe Gallery, New York, in 1928. That same year, he met Joan Miró, who became his lifelong friend. Subsequently, Calder divided his time between France and the United States. In 1929, the Galerie Billiet gave him his first solo show in Paris. He met Frederick Kiesler, Fernand Léger, and Theo van Doesburg and visited Piet Mondrian’s studio in 1930. Calder began to experiment with abstract sculpture at this time and in 1931 and 1932 introduced moving parts into his work. These moving sculptures were called “mobiles”; the stationary constructions were to be named “stabiles.” He exhibited with the Abstraction-Création group in Paris in 1933. In 1943, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, gave him a solo exhibition.
During the 1950s, Calder traveled widely and executed Towers (wall mobiles) and Gongs (sound mobiles). He won the Grand Prize for Sculpture at the 1952 Venice Biennale. Late in the decade, the artist worked extensively with gouache; from this period, he executed numerous major public commissions. In 1964–65, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, presented a Calder retrospective. He began the Totems in 1966 and the Animobiles in 1971; both are variations on the standing mobile. A Calder exhibition was held at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, in 1976. Calder died November 11, 1976, in New York.
