Alexander CALDER (1898 – 1976)
L’Etoffe
Tapestry made for the artist by Pinton Aubusson in an edition of 6 plus 2 artists proofs
75 6/8 x 52 ½ inches / 192 x 133 cm
Signed and stamped
Alexander Calder first designed textiles in 1929. In the early 1960’s, he began a collaboration with French tapestry workshops in Aubusson, and in 1964 under the direction of Pierre Baudouin he designed a small number of tapestry cartoons. This relationship with Pinton Freres continued until his death in 1976. In the early 1970’s Calder designed a group of 26 tapestries to be woven in Aubusson by Pinton Freres each of which was limited, by French law to an edition of six (plus 2 artist proofs), woven only on demand and marked on the reverse 1/6, 2/6 etc. The warp is cotton and the weft mainly high grade Australian wool, handspun and carefully dyed for each tapestry. Overall, thirty or forty tapestries where completed to his dictat, and with his famous flair for the three dimensional, as exemplified by his mobiles, he not only dictated the colour and imagery but also the texture of the designs.