Alexander Calder

Born in Philadelphia in 1898 he worked as an engineer before taking up painting in 1922. He moved to Paris in 1926 and worked giving performances of a miniature circus with tiny figurines. Inspired by a visit to Mondrian's studio in 1930, he joined the Abstraction-Creation group and developed Mobiles for which he is best known. He became an internationally acclaimed artist, receiving numerous commissions for monumental sculptures throughout Europe and America.