This is a gouache on paper by Alexander Calder, one of America’s most renowned artists and a creative genius. The gouache is untitled, but shows a couple with a dog and an orange sun and blue moon, and it is signed and dated in the lower right corner of the image. Calder was born in Pennsylvania and exposed to art at an early age. His father and grandfather were both sculptors, and he carried on this tradition later in life. But his parents did not want him to be an artist, and he first set his sights on becoming a mechanical engineer. He was interested in machinery and movement, and went to college with that goal in mind. His family moved around the country quite a bit, and after receiving a degree in mechanical engineering, he eventually enrolled at the Arts Students League in New York. Then he moved to Paris, where he met artists such as Joan Miro, Marcel DuChamp, and Piet Mondrian, who had a huge influence on Calder’s career; Mondrian’s geometric shapes played a pivotal role in Calder’s art. Calder first gained attention in Paris in the 1920’s and was championed by the Museum of Modern Art in New York in the 1940’s. He was best known for his mobiles, and he also created paintings, prints, miniatures, did theater design, jewelry design, tapestries, and even political posters - a wide range of art with a high degree of quality. His works are now held at major museums throughout the world. A similar work sold recently for six figures. With Provenance from Sotheby's in New York 2007. The gouache is under glass and in immaculate condition. The overall size is 32 3/4 x 39 3/4 in. wide, the sight size is 22 5/8 x 30 5/8 in., and the matte measures 27 1/4 x 34 in. wide.