Man Cub

Alexander Stirling Calder

1901–2, cast 1922 · Bronze · The American Wing

Calder modeled this lifesize portrait of his son, Alexander (1898-1976) when he was four years of age. Sandy Calder posed in his father’s studio, holding an orange in his right hand. He later became one of the most influential American sculptors of the twentieth century, best known for his invention of the mobile and the stabile. This cast has a distinctive blue-green patina, applied to the surface of the bronze to give it a weathered appearance.

Artist

Alexander Stirling Calder

Date

1901–2, cast 1922

Medium

Bronze

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1922