Untitled 71

(After) Alexander Calder (1898-1976, American) Untitled (1971) Color lithograph after the 1971 gouache. The image is 22.75 x 17 inches and with the matting and black wood frame, the work of art measures 39 x 27.5 inches. The unnumbered piece is signed and dated ‘Calder 71’ in the lower right of the design/plate. Primary colors of black, red, yellow, and blue circular and oval shapes on a white background appear in motion in an abstract image that is representative of the artist’s signature style conveying his sense of playfulness. Note that there is some very mild cockling/puckering in the sheet.

Midcentury master, Alexander Calder is known primarily for his mobiles and sculptures, but preferred gouache for his two-dimensional, abstract, modern works on paper. Gouache is a water-soluble paint that dries quickly like a watercolor but results in the opaque, bold colors Calder desired.