Alexander Calder

ALEXANDER CALDER (United States, 1898–1976).
“Der clown,” 1976.
Lithograph, print no. 21/150.
Signed and numbered by hand.
Measurements: 82 x 67 cm.

Created in 1976, the final year of Alexander Calder’s life, this lithograph is a striking example of how the artist translated the principles of movement, balance, and dynamism—which had revolutionized his sculptural work—into the language of printmaking. The composition is built from large circles, spirals, and concentric bands that seem to expand and shift across the surface, creating an intense sense of movement despite the work’s two-dimensional nature. The use of a limited palette of red, yellow, blue, black, and white, combined with the radical simplification of forms, is fully in keeping with the visual vocabulary developed by Calder during his mature years. Other sources document examples of *Der Clown* dated 1976 and signed in pencil by Calder, confirming the identification of the composition.

The title “Der Clown” (The Clown) also connects to one of the fundamental aspects of Calder’s career: his fascination with the world of the circus. Beginning in the 1920s, when he created his famous *Cirque Calder*, the circus became a laboratory for exploring movement, balance, humor, and the transformation of recognizable figures into abstract constructions.

Calder trained at the Art Students League of New York, and in 1926 he held his first painting exhibition at The Artist’s Gallery in New York. Before the year was out, he embarked on a trip through Europe, which allowed him to meet the leading figures of the time, such as Miró, Duchamp, and Mondrian. Calder is one of the most renowned artists of the 20th century, with works in all the world’s major collections—from New York’s MoMA, where one of his sculptures adorns the main staircase, to UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Other institutions where his work is represented include the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the Städel in Frankfurt, the Kunstmuseum in Basel, the Reina Sofía in Madrid, and the Tate Gallery in London.