Alexander CalderAmerican, 1898–1976Calderberry
May one see it?
Yes, receiving visitors
National Gallery of Art
Room606 · East Building, TowerWashington, D.C., United States
On public display.
- Checked
- 5 hours ago
- In this state since
- Aug 19, 2026
- Source
- The museum's own collection data
Particulars
- Accession number
- 2015.19.3781
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- National Gallery of Art: the museum's own open data · fetched 4 days ago
- Image: National Gallery of Art — © the artist or rights holder
Meanwhile, in the life of Alexander Calder
The whole life1939–1945
The war years: “constellations” instead of aluminium
During the Second World War Calder tries to join the Marines as a camoufleur but is rejected. Adapting to a scarcity of aluminium, he returns to carved wood in a new open form of sculpture called “constellations”.
1946
The Louis Carré show and Sartre’s essay
In 1946 a Calder show organised by Duchamp, made up mainly of hanging and standing mobiles, opens at Galerie Louis Carré in Paris; because of the postal service’s strict size limits he takes some works apart and sends them by mail. The show makes a huge impact, as does the catalogue essay by Jean-Paul Sartre.
1948
A Rio de Janeiro show nearly sells out
By 1948 Calder’s works are selling: his solo show in Rio de Janeiro nearly sells out, and he becomes the first internationally renowned sculptor.
![Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Descent into Limbo [right panel], Andrea Vanni, 1380s](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/4205a539-eadd-4486-89a7-3cff9c1ba428/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
