Alexander Calder

Perls Galleries, New York
Robert C. Scull, New York
Margit W. Chanin, Ltd., New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in March 1967

This work is in very good and sound condition overall. The elements move smoothly and freely. There is scattered paint loss along the edges of the red elements and along the edges of the blue and yellow elements, which is visible in the catalogue illustration. There are light and scattered surface abrasions on the base and elements visible under raking light. There is evidence of light wear to the brass element, resulting in light accretions and surface abrasions.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Jean Paul Sartre penned Alexander Calder’s favorite piece of writing about his work, describing Calder's creations as “a little local fiesta; an object defined by its movement and non-existent without it; a flower that withers as soon as it comes to a standstill; a pure stream of movement in the same way as there are pure streams of light” (Exh. Cat., Paris, Galerie Louise Carré, Alexander Calder: Mobiles, Stabiles, Constellations, 1946, p. 9).

The delicate Three Yellow, Two Blue Polygons and Brass on Red is a gorgeous gem that embodies all of Calder’s most magical qualities. Conveying a greater sense of solidity and permanence through its earthly anchorage than its fully airborne ‘mobile’ counterparts, the present work is imbued with a key sense of dynamism and movement through the addition of delicately floating wire elements and carefully suspended colored forms. The vibrant red of the base is particularly striking: Calder adored the color, declaring that “I love red so much that I almost want to paint everything red” (Alexander Calder quoted in: Jacob Baal-Teshuva, Calder, Cologne 2002, p. 81).  Indeed, the color red plays an important role in one of Calder’s most important moments of inspiration. The oft-repeated anecdote tells of a chance sensorial experience aboard a ship to Panama. He described “the beginning of a fiery red sunrise on one side and the moon looking like a silver coin on the other.” (Henry Petroski in Exh. Cat., New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Alexander Calder, The Paris Years, 1926-33, 2008, p. 180). The vision marked him “with a lasting sensation of the solar system,” which stimulated Calder to create artworks suspended in the air just as the celestial alignment was on that journey. When one observes Calder’s mobiles and stabiles, the cosmic or natural pace of the spinning globe comes to mind. One watches the basic rhythmic gestures that layer one on top of the other to create an unpredictable collection of rhythms over time. Calder’s interest in the natural world and organic forms was life-long: his studios in Roxbury, Connecticut and Saché, France were set amidst oases of natural greenery and plenitude, providing constant creative stimulation for his work. With its carefully constructed juxtaposition between the solidity of the base and the dynamism of the floating strands of wire and dynamic forms, the overall effect of Three Yellow, Two Blue Polygons and Brass on Red is one of extraordinary grace and beauty.

The liberation of pictorial form and color into the third dimension of real space so that they become free to move is Calder’s major innovation and gift to art history. The freedom of movement opened the work up to the external world and increased the level of interaction between the artwork, architecture, and, importantly, the viewer. Calder, in the years 1930-1931, created his first abstract works, which became known as his “mobiles” and “stabiles.” The categories that had until then distinguished painting from sculpture no longer seemed to apply to Calder’s creations. The intimate scale of Three Yellow, Two Blue Polygons and Brass on Red is as if it were designed for only one person's intimate experience, and yet, it is undeniably capable of immense visual impact.