Soleil et Pluie. Sun and Rain. 1972. by Alexander Calder, 1898-1976

Alexander Calder, 1898-1976
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Soleil et Pluie. Sun and Rain. 1972.

Original lithograph in colours. 1972. Signed in pencil. Numbered 69 from the edition of 125. Printed at the studio of Editions de la Difference, Paris.

Excellent rich impression with strong colours. On heavy cream wove paper. Drawn virtually to full sheet size. Sheet: 648 x 495mm. 25 1/2 x 19 1/2ins.

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Alexander Calder made one of the single most widely known and admired contributions to the imagery of twentieth century art - the mobile. His sculptures of finely balanced metal arms and discs, painted in strong colours, and which move at random with the effects of heat and air, have probably found a wider public appreciation than any other art modern art form.

Calder's first mobile sculptures date from around 1930, but throughout his life he also worked in the two dimensions of drawing and painting, both as a way of working-out ideas for the mobiles and also in parallel to them, using two-dimensional developments of similar ideas. It was in the late 1950's that he also became interested in using printmaking techniques to explore similar themes, particularly lithography with its intensity of ink colour.

After the war he divided his time between his home in Connecticut and frequent visits to Europe, in particular to Paris. It was probably in Paris that he was most encouraged to work in lithography, and 'Rain' above was drawn there, probably at Mourlot's studio. It is characteristic of the way that he exploited the liquidity of stroke and intense colour to create ideas of spatial movement,similar to the movement in his sculptures.