2003.11.21
untitled (The Red Cone)
Artist
Alexander Calder
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1898 - 1976, New York City, New York)
Title
untitled (The Red Cone)
Creation Date
1949
Century
mid-20th century
Dimensions
18 in. x 3 1/2 in. x 18 in. (45.72 cm x 8.89 cm x 45.72 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Creation Place
North America, United States
Medium and Support
painted metal
Credit Line
Bequest of William H. Alexander, in memory of his friend, Frederick H. Wilke, M.D., Chief of Pediatrics at St. Lukes Hospital, New York
Copyright
This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s
Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Accession Number
2003.11.21
Alexander Calder harnessed one of nature’s fundamental forces—gravity—to create his kinetic, yet balanced “drawings in space.” With a mechanical engineering degree, Calder understood the physics of objects’ movements. This knowledge sparked his invention of the moving sculpture, termed the “mobile” by Marcel Duchamp. The mobiles are comprised of colorful pieces of sheet metal, delicately dangling on monofilament. The sculptures’ oscillation constantly transforms the viewers’ experience of the work.