Calder's 'Les Granettes' Returns to Paris After 72 Years at Hauser & Wirth

For the first time in 72 years, Alexander Calder's towering mobile 'Les Granettes,' which stands nearly 11 feet tall, is on display at 'Calder: François Premier' at Hauser & Wirth Paris, open until December 19. The piece is named after the small village near Aix-en-Provence where Calder and his wife Louisa resided. After relocating to Paris in 1926, Calder became involved with the French avant-garde movement. By 1953, he had received the grand prize for sculpture at the Venice Biennale. That spring, the couple lived in a sparsely equipped cottage while Calder crafted mobiles and paintings at a blacksmith's shop. In November, he exchanged three mobiles for François Premier, where 'Les Granettes' was later exhibited. Calder split his time between Saché and Roxbury, Connecticut.