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Lot n° 6003

Alexander Calder Signed Postcard with Mobile Sketch:...

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American sculptor (1898-1976) known as the originator of the mobile. ALS in French, signed “Calder,” one page on a 5.5 x 3.5 postcard showing cows on the Nonnewaug River in Woodbury, Connecticut, May 9, 1958. Handwritten letter to "E. Beothy," the Franco-Hungarian sculptor István Beöthy, in Montrouge (Seine), in which Calder announces arrival in Paris for the end of June. On the opposite side, Calder draws a sketch in the style of one of his kinetic sculpture mobiles, coloring in the cows and adding a caption across the top: "Collaboration entre vaches et sculpteur [Collaboration between cows and sculptor]." In fine condition. Alexander Calder revolutionized modern art with his ingenious kinetic sculptures and mobiles. Born in 1898, Calder initially trained as a mechanical engineer before embracing his passion for art. His iconic mobiles, characterized by delicately balanced geometric shapes suspended in air, challenged traditional notions of sculpture by introducing movement and dynamism. Inspired by the organic rhythms of nature and influenced by artists like Piet Mondrian and Joan Miró, Calder's creations invite viewers to engage with space and form in playful and unexpected ways. Through his innovative use of simple materials such as wire, wood, and metal, Calder transformed the static into the kinetic, inspiring generations of artists to explore the possibilities of movement in sculpture.