Alexander Sandy Calder, American sculptor and painter, left a significant mark on the history of 20th century art.

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Initially a mechanical engineering graduate, Calder was fascinated by the system of the universe. In 1923, he decided to devote himself to painting and joined the Art Students League in New York. Three years later, he moved to Paris, where he sculpted wire figures of Josephine Baker and rubbed shoulders with artists such as Joan Miró, Man Ray, Fernand Léger, Jean Cocteau and Piet Mondrian, whose encounter profoundly influenced his work.

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In 1930, Calder experienced an “abstract shock” that prompted him to create works in motion. Two years later, he presented for the first time his abstract sculptures in stems and articulated plates, described as “mobile” by Marcel Duchamp, at the Galerie Vignon. In 1952, he won the Grand Prix for sculpture at the Venice Biennale. Although Calder is particularly well known for his paintings, his mobiles And its Stables, he also made numerous jewelry and decorative elements.

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In 1943, the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) devoted a retrospective to him, followed by an exhibition in Paris in 1946. In 2018, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is organizing a major exposure dedicated to the artist, highlighting his work and his lasting influence in the field of art.