Lot 139
  • 139

ALEXANDER CALDER | Untitled

Estimate
200,000 - 300,000 USD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Alexander Calder
  • Untitled
  • painted metal and wire
  • 4 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 in. 11.4 by 11.4 by 6.4 cm.
  • Executed circa 1953.

Provenance

Galerie Maeght, Paris
Galerie Claude Bernard, Paris
Private Collection, Illinois (acquired from the above in 1964)
Hokin Gallery, Chicago
Russeck Gallery, Palm Beach (acquired from the above in 2002)
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2005

Exhibited

Santa Fe, Gerald Peters Gallery; Dallas, Gerald Peters Gallery, The Whimsical World of Alexander Calder, July - October 2003

Condition

This work is in very good and sound condition overall. The elements move smoothly and freely. There is evidence of wear and handling, especially along the base which exhibits some light rusting, and minor pinpoint losses to the elements and painted wire. There is light evidence of pitting on the brass element.
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.

Catalogue Note

"Excluding every anecdotal element, Calder reduces the object to a few simple lines carving out elementary colors. This object, employing only the properties of movement—not represented movement but real movement—is miraculously brought to life in the most concrete shapes and restores to us the evolution of the celestial bodies, the rustling of foliage, the memory of caresses.”
André Breton in Exh. Cat., New York, L&M Arts, Tanguy, Calder: Between Surrealism and Abstraction, 2010, p. 152

This work is registered in the archives of the Calder Foundation, New York, under application number A18333.