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ALEXANDER CALDER (1898-1976)

 
Alexander Calder was a key figure in the development of abstract sculpture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in kinetic art; he is one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century. "Prelude to Man-Eater" is a delicately balanced standing sculpture that responds to air currents, creating a constantly changing and dynamic visual experience.
<br>
<br>Calder's Standing Mobiles were a result of his continuous experimentation with materials, form, and balance. This Standing Mobile is a historically significant prelude to a larger work commissioned in 1945 by Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "Prelude to Maneater" is designed to be viewed from multiple angles, encouraging viewers to walk around and interact with it.
<br>
<br>The present work is a formal study for Man-Eater With Pennant (1945), part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The work is also represented in "Sketches for Mobiles: Prelude to Man-Eater; Starfish; Octopus", which is in the permanent collection of the Harvard Fogg Museum.
<br>
<br>Calder's mobiles and stabiles can be found in esteemed private collections and the collections of major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Gallery in London among others. Alexander Calder was a key figure in the development of abstract sculpture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in kinetic art; he is one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century. "Prelude to Man-Eater" is a delicately balanced standing sculpture that responds to air currents, creating a constantly changing and dynamic visual experience.
<br>
<br>Calder's Standing Mobiles were a result of his continuous experimentation with materials, form, and balance. This Standing Mobile is a historically significant prelude to a larger work commissioned in 1945 by Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "Prelude to Maneater" is designed to be viewed from multiple angles, encouraging viewers to walk around and interact with it.
<br>
<br>The present work is a formal study for Man-Eater With Pennant (1945), part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The work is also represented in "Sketches for Mobiles: Prelude to Man-Eater; Starfish; Octopus", which is in the permanent collection of the Harvard Fogg Museum.
<br>
<br>Calder's mobiles and stabiles can be found in esteemed private collections and the collections of major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Gallery in London among others. Alexander Calder was a key figure in the development of abstract sculpture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in kinetic art; he is one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century. "Prelude to Man-Eater" is a delicately balanced standing sculpture that responds to air currents, creating a constantly changing and dynamic visual experience.
<br>
<br>Calder's Standing Mobiles were a result of his continuous experimentation with materials, form, and balance. This Standing Mobile is a historically significant prelude to a larger work commissioned in 1945 by Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "Prelude to Maneater" is designed to be viewed from multiple angles, encouraging viewers to walk around and interact with it.
<br>
<br>The present work is a formal study for Man-Eater With Pennant (1945), part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The work is also represented in "Sketches for Mobiles: Prelude to Man-Eater; Starfish; Octopus", which is in the permanent collection of the Harvard Fogg Museum.
<br>
<br>Calder's mobiles and stabiles can be found in esteemed private collections and the collections of major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Gallery in London among others. Alexander Calder was a key figure in the development of abstract sculpture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in kinetic art; he is one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century. "Prelude to Man-Eater" is a delicately balanced standing sculpture that responds to air currents, creating a constantly changing and dynamic visual experience.
<br>
<br>Calder's Standing Mobiles were a result of his continuous experimentation with materials, form, and balance. This Standing Mobile is a historically significant prelude to a larger work commissioned in 1945 by Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "Prelude to Maneater" is designed to be viewed from multiple angles, encouraging viewers to walk around and interact with it.
<br>
<br>The present work is a formal study for Man-Eater With Pennant (1945), part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The work is also represented in "Sketches for Mobiles: Prelude to Man-Eater; Starfish; Octopus", which is in the permanent collection of the Harvard Fogg Museum.
<br>
<br>Calder's mobiles and stabiles can be found in esteemed private collections and the collections of major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Gallery in London among others. Alexander Calder was a key figure in the development of abstract sculpture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in kinetic art; he is one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century. "Prelude to Man-Eater" is a delicately balanced standing sculpture that responds to air currents, creating a constantly changing and dynamic visual experience.
<br>
<br>Calder's Standing Mobiles were a result of his continuous experimentation with materials, form, and balance. This Standing Mobile is a historically significant prelude to a larger work commissioned in 1945 by Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "Prelude to Maneater" is designed to be viewed from multiple angles, encouraging viewers to walk around and interact with it.
<br>
<br>The present work is a formal study for Man-Eater With Pennant (1945), part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The work is also represented in "Sketches for Mobiles: Prelude to Man-Eater; Starfish; Octopus", which is in the permanent collection of the Harvard Fogg Museum.
<br>
<br>Calder's mobiles and stabiles can be found in esteemed private collections and the collections of major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Gallery in London among others. Alexander Calder was a key figure in the development of abstract sculpture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in kinetic art; he is one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century. "Prelude to Man-Eater" is a delicately balanced standing sculpture that responds to air currents, creating a constantly changing and dynamic visual experience.
<br>
<br>Calder's Standing Mobiles were a result of his continuous experimentation with materials, form, and balance. This Standing Mobile is a historically significant prelude to a larger work commissioned in 1945 by Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "Prelude to Maneater" is designed to be viewed from multiple angles, encouraging viewers to walk around and interact with it.
<br>
<br>The present work is a formal study for Man-Eater With Pennant (1945), part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The work is also represented in "Sketches for Mobiles: Prelude to Man-Eater; Starfish; Octopus", which is in the permanent collection of the Harvard Fogg Museum.
<br>
<br>Calder's mobiles and stabiles can be found in esteemed private collections and the collections of major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Gallery in London among others. Alexander Calder was a key figure in the development of abstract sculpture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in kinetic art; he is one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century. "Prelude to Man-Eater" is a delicately balanced standing sculpture that responds to air currents, creating a constantly changing and dynamic visual experience.
<br>
<br>Calder's Standing Mobiles were a result of his continuous experimentation with materials, form, and balance. This Standing Mobile is a historically significant prelude to a larger work commissioned in 1945 by Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "Prelude to Maneater" is designed to be viewed from multiple angles, encouraging viewers to walk around and interact with it.
<br>
<br>The present work is a formal study for Man-Eater With Pennant (1945), part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The work is also represented in "Sketches for Mobiles: Prelude to Man-Eater; Starfish; Octopus", which is in the permanent collection of the Harvard Fogg Museum.
<br>
<br>Calder's mobiles and stabiles can be found in esteemed private collections and the collections of major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Gallery in London among others. Alexander Calder was a key figure in the development of abstract sculpture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in kinetic art; he is one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century. "Prelude to Man-Eater" is a delicately balanced standing sculpture that responds to air currents, creating a constantly changing and dynamic visual experience.
<br>
<br>Calder's Standing Mobiles were a result of his continuous experimentation with materials, form, and balance. This Standing Mobile is a historically significant prelude to a larger work commissioned in 1945 by Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "Prelude to Maneater" is designed to be viewed from multiple angles, encouraging viewers to walk around and interact with it.
<br>
<br>The present work is a formal study for Man-Eater With Pennant (1945), part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The work is also represented in "Sketches for Mobiles: Prelude to Man-Eater; Starfish; Octopus", which is in the permanent collection of the Harvard Fogg Museum.
<br>
<br>Calder's mobiles and stabiles can be found in esteemed private collections and the collections of major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Gallery in London among others. Alexander Calder was a key figure in the development of abstract sculpture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in kinetic art; he is one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century. "Prelude to Man-Eater" is a delicately balanced standing sculpture that responds to air currents, creating a constantly changing and dynamic visual experience.
<br>
<br>Calder's Standing Mobiles were a result of his continuous experimentation with materials, form, and balance. This Standing Mobile is a historically significant prelude to a larger work commissioned in 1945 by Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "Prelude to Maneater" is designed to be viewed from multiple angles, encouraging viewers to walk around and interact with it.
<br>
<br>The present work is a formal study for Man-Eater With Pennant (1945), part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The work is also represented in "Sketches for Mobiles: Prelude to Man-Eater; Starfish; Octopus", which is in the permanent collection of the Harvard Fogg Museum.
<br>
<br>Calder's mobiles and stabiles can be found in esteemed private collections and the collections of major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Gallery in London among others. Alexander Calder was a key figure in the development of abstract sculpture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in kinetic art; he is one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century. "Prelude to Man-Eater" is a delicately balanced standing sculpture that responds to air currents, creating a constantly changing and dynamic visual experience.
<br>
<br>Calder's Standing Mobiles were a result of his continuous experimentation with materials, form, and balance. This Standing Mobile is a historically significant prelude to a larger work commissioned in 1945 by Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. "Prelude to Maneater" is designed to be viewed from multiple angles, encouraging viewers to walk around and interact with it.
<br>
<br>The present work is a formal study for Man-Eater With Pennant (1945), part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The work is also represented in "Sketches for Mobiles: Prelude to Man-Eater; Starfish; Octopus", which is in the permanent collection of the Harvard Fogg Museum.
<br>
<br>Calder's mobiles and stabiles can be found in esteemed private collections and the collections of major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Tate Gallery in London among others.
Prelude to the Man-Eater194559 x 42 x 18 in.(149.86 x 106.68 x 45.72 cm) sheet metal, wire, paint
Provenance
Estate of the Artist
M. Knoedler & Co., New York
Galerie Internazionale, Milan
Arnold Herstand & Co., New York
Meshulam Riklis, New York
Christies New York, May 1997, lot 127
Private Collection, acquired from the above sale
Christies New York, June, 2001, lot 1103
Private Collection
Michelle Rosenfeld Gallery, New York
Private Collection
Exhibition
New York, Buchholz Gallery, Alexander Calder, November-December, 1945
Detroit, Detroit Institute of Fine Arts, Origins of Modern Sculpture
...More..., January - March, 1946
New York, M. Knoedler & Co., Alexander Calder / Fernand Leger, October 1979, p. 9, no. 5 (illustrated)
New York,  M. Knoedler & Co., Alexander Calder Standing Mobiles, December 1980-January 1981
Barcelona, Spain, Fundacio Joan Miro, Calder, November 1997-February 1998, no. 73
Beverly Hills, California, Gagosian Gallery, Alexander Calder, May - June, 2003
Los Angeles, California, L&M Arts, Alexander Calder, April - June, 2012
Michelle Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, Spring Group Show, March - May 2013
...LESS...
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“When everything goes right, a mobile is a piece of poetry that dances with the joy of life and surprise!” -Alexander Calder

History

Alexander Calder was a key figure in the development of abstract sculpture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in kinetic art; he is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Prelude to the Man-Eater is a delicately balanced standing sculpture that responds to air currents, creating a constantly changing and dynamic visual experience.

Calder’s standing mobiles were a result of his continuous experimentation with materials, form, and balance. Alfred Barr, the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, commissioned Calder to create a new standing mobile in 1945. The present work is a formal study for that commissioned work, Man-Eater With Pennant. Prelude to the Man-Eater, like the sculpture in MoMA, is designed to be viewed from multiple angles, encouraging viewers to walk around and interact with it. In both pieces, the different metal components move around a central post. Maquettes and studies played a vital role in Calder’s practice as it gave him the opportunity to understand scale and balance before scaling up the piece. Often, these maquettes existed in the smaller size for decades before enlarging or simply existed at their size and never made into larger works. In Prelude, we can see Calder thinking more vertically compared to the final piece at MoMA.

Prelude to the Man-Eater is also represented in Calder’s preparatory drawing, Sketches for Mobiles: Prelude to Man-Eater; Starfish; Octopus, which is in the permanent collection of the Harvard Fogg Museum.

  • Calder Rome 1956
    Alexander Calder at the opening of an exhibition of his mobiles at the Galleria Dell’Obelisco in Rome in 1956 (© Getty)
  • Calder with Root
    Calder with Root (1947) Buchholz Gallery/Curt Valentin, New York, 1947 © 2018 Calder Foundation, New York / DACS London
  • Calder Studio 1941
    Calder’s Roxbury studio, 1941 Herbert Matter © 2018 Calder Foundation, New York / DACS London
  • Installation view: Alexander Calder: “Man-Eater With Pennant”, The Museum of Modern Art, New York
“Just as one can compose colors, or forms, so one can compose motions.” -Alexander Calder

MARKET INSIGHTS

  • Alexander Calder is noted for his mobiles and stabiles, which rarely come up for sale.
  • Calder’s sculpture market has experienced a 10.3% compound annual growth rate since 1976.
  • Institutional interest in Calder’s work is rising, with new Asian and Middle Eastern museums seeking to own examples from the 1930s and 1940s.

Top Mobile and Standing Mobile Results at Auction

“Poisson Volant” (1957), painted sheet metal, rod and wire, 24 x 89 in. Sold at Christie’s New York: 13 July 2014 for $25,925,000. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
“Untitled” (1949), painted sheet metal and wire, 128 x 168 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 16 November 2021 for $19,682,000. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
“Lily of Force” (1945), painted sheet metal, rod and wire, 92 x 81 in. Sold at Christie’s New York: 08 May 2012 for $18,562,500. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Comparable Mobiles and Standing Mobiles Sold at Auction

“Untitled” (1942), painted sheet metal, glass, wire and string, 33 x 23 in. Sold at Sotheby’s New York: 11 May 2016 for $8,314,000. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Smaller than Prelude to the Man-Eater
  • Similar stabile composition and format
  • Comparable date of execution
“Black II” (1949), painted sheet metal and wire, 40 x 33 in. Sold at Christie’s New York: 12 November 2014 for $4,309,000. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Comparable size to Prelude to the Man-Eater
  • Similar stabile composition and format
  • Comparable date of execution
“Stabile with Mobile Element” (1940), painted sheet metal and string, 24 x 24 in. Sold at Christie’s New York: 10 November 2015 for $4,085,000. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Smaller than Prelude to the Man-Eater
  • Similar stabile composition and format
  • Comparable date of execution

Mobiles and Standing Mobiles in Museum Collections

“Man-Eater with Pennants” (1945), painted steel rods and sheet iron, 168 x appx. 360 in. diameter, The Museum of Modern Art, New York. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
“Spider” (1939), painted sheet aluminum, steel rod, and steel wire, 80 1/2 x 88 1/2 x 36 1/2 in., The Museum of Modern Art, New York. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
“Untitled” (1937), painted steel, 89 3/4 x 80 x 102 in., The Tate, London. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
“Yucca” (1941), painted sheet metal and wire, 73 1/2 x 23 x 20 in., The Guggenheim, New York. © 2023 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
“To most people who look at a mobile, it’s no more than a series of flat objects that move. To a few, though, it may be poetry.” -Alexander Calder

Additional Resources

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