Painted metal stabile, circa 1943. Approximately 470x800x400 mm; 18 1/2x31 1/2x16 inches (approximate sizes of the longest parts in each dimension; height x width x depth). Ex-collection Mary Batsell, Paris and New York; her daughter Solange Batsell Herter; thence by descent to the current owner.
Calder (1898-1976) was friends with the former owner of this sculpture, Mary Batsell, and gave it to her during a dinner at the Batsell's house in Paris in the summer of 1946. Batsell's daughter, Solange, recounts her family's relationship with Calder in her autobiography, No More Tiaras, New York, 2011, pages 53-55, 148, 180-181, illustrations pages 172-173. In the early 1970s, Solange worked with Calder on several poster projects, for the Young Artists exhibition (1971) as well as George McGovern's presidential campaign (1975). The photograph to the right shows Mary Batsell walking with Calder in the countryside near his home in Saché outside of Paris.
The artist had intended the work as a stabile when he designed it and made a drawing of it, illustrated to the right, for his Parisian dealer at the time, Louis Carré. He included a hand-written letter to Carré dated August 22, 1943, reproduced from the Galerie Louis Carré & Cie, Paris, archives, with the drawing, which explains how to put the stabile (which he refers to as a "mobile") together once it arrived in Paris. The sculpture was sent to Carré in multiple packages ("6 petits colis" in Calder's letter). The base which Calder shows in his drawing was subsequently lost. In addition, 3 of the 12 elements showing on the original drawing were lost and replaced after the sculpture was given by Calder to Mary Batsell in Paris, several years after he had sent it to Carré.
NOTICE TO PROSPECTIVE BUYERS
At the time the sculpture was given by Alexander Calder to Mary Batsell, former owner of this work, the sculpture was in its original configuration as shown in Calder's drawing (reproduced in the catalogue).
Subsequently, and not by the artist, 3 of the original 12 small, geometric elements in the sculpture were replaced and the base was lost. The artist did not gift the sculpture to Mary Batsell in its current condition.
The red base shown in the catalogue was produced by Swann and has no relation whatsoever to the artist's original design nor is it sanctioned by the Calder Foundation.
As a result of its current condition, the Calder Foundation will not issue an identification number for the sculpture. While they do recognize the original parts (9 geometric elements and wire) still with the sculpture as Calder's work, they do not provide identification numbers for incomplete sculptures.
