Alexander Calder

Alexander Calder was an American sculptor and artist most famous for inventing the mobile. In addition to mobile and stabile sculpture, Alexander Calder created paintings, lithographs and tapestries. Born in Lawnton, Pennsylvania, Calder came from a family of sculptors. Initially trained as a mechanical engineer, Calder woke early one morning and saw a sunrise with moon-set which deeply impressed him and set him on the path of becoming an artist. In his years as an artist, he divided his time between New York and Paris. Calder died on November 11, 1976, shortly following the opening of another major retrospective show at the Whitney Museum in New York. His works sell in auction for millions and are found in major institutions and major museums throughout the world.