Wire, 7 x 19 x 6 in., Promised gift of Jon and Mary Shirley, photo: Nicholas Shirley, Brightwood Photos.
In Animal Sketching, Calder wrote, “Animals—action. These two words go hand and hand in art. […] So there is always a feeling of perpetual motion about animals and to draw them successfully this must be borne in mind.” While in Paris in 1926, Calder lifted line from the two-dimensional page in his wire sculptures, or drawings in space. Vache (cow in French) does not contain overtly articulated parts, yet it appears ready for motion. Its hooves balance carefully on the ground, revealing the sculpture’s elasticity; you can imagine placing a finger on the animal’s back, pressing down, and watching it recoil and vibrate under that pressure. In this way, the material—wire, with its potential for kinetic activation—imbues the cow with a sense of action. Meticulous details—for example, the cow’s curlicue udders and double-pronged tail—reveal Calder’s mastery over his medium and his creativity in working within its limitations.
Squarish, 1970
Acquired 1988
Tamanoir jaune, 1963
Acquired 1989
Yellow Stalk with Stone, 1953
Acquired 1990
Gamma, 1947
Acquired 1992
Derriere le Miroir, No. 31, 1950
Acquired 1992
Bougainvillier, 1947
Acquired 1995
JS key ring, ca. 1955
Acquired 1995
Black, White, Yellow and Brass on Red, 1959
Acquired 1995
Vache, ca. 1930
Acquired 1997
Untitled, 1970
Acquired 1997
Red Curly Tail, 1970
Acquired 1997
Untitled, ca. 1953
Acquired 1997
Untitled, ca. 1938
Acquired 1998
Jonah and the Whale, ca. 1940
Acquired 1998
Rock, 1945
Acquired 1998
Untitled, ca. 1948
Acquired 1998
Two White Dots, 1973
Acquired 1998
Untitled, ca. 1948
Acquired 1999
Crinkly Crocodile, 1971
Acquired 1999
Little Yellow Panel, ca. 1936
Acquired 1999
Dispersed Objects with Brass Gong, 1948
Acquired 1999
Polychrome Dots and Brass on Red, 1964
Acquired 1999
Untitled, 1947
Acquired 1999
Grasshopper, ca. 1952
Acquired 1999
Untitled, 1947
Acquired 2000
Bird, 1968
Acquired 2000
Crinkly Red and Black, 1964
Acquired 2001
Untitled (Métaboles), 1969
Acquired 2002
Toile d’araignee, 1965
Acquired 2002
Moons and Waves, 1963
Acquired 2002
Animated Coat Hanger, 1927
Acquired 2003
Untitled, 1952
Acquired 2003
Untitled (maquette), ca. 1960
Acquired 2004
Fables of Aesop: According to Sir Roger
L’Estrange, 1931, 1964
Acquired 2005
Untitled (Man on Ladder with Troupers), 1931/1964
Acquired 2007
Untitled (Juggler with Dog), 1931/1964
Acquired 2007
Untitled (Jongleurs), 1931/1964
Acquired 2007
Untitled (The Catch I), 1931/1964
Acquired 2007
Untitled (Men Pursuading Elephant), 1931/1964
Acquired 2007
Untitled (Man on Ladder), 1932/1964
Acquired 2007
Untitled (Tightrope and Animals), 1932/1964
Acquired 2007
Fish, 1942
Acquired 2011
Untitled, 1968
Acquired 2012
Constellation with Red Knife, 1943
Acquired 2013
Untitled, 1936
Acquired 2015
Untitled, ca. 1950
Acquired 2015
Untitled, 1956
Acquired 2015
Untitled, 1960
Acquired 2015
Untitled, ca. 1956
Acquired 2016
Rat, 1948
Acquired 2016
Bird, ca. 1940
Acquired 2019
Untitled, ca. 1942
Acquired 2021
The Yellow Disc, 1958
Acquired 2022
Femme assise, ca. 1929
Acquired 2022