Calder's 'Mountains and Clouds' Reinstallation Begins at Hart Senate Office Building After 12 Years
Mountains and Clouds, the last sculpture by Alexander Calder, is being reinstalled in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building. This 51-foot artwork features five triangular sections and four oval clouds suspended above. Created in 1976, Calder passed away the following day at the age of 78 after showcasing a model to officials. His estate sanctioned its posthumous fabrication, which was unveiled on May 5, 1987, thanks to $650,000 raised by Senator Nicholas F. Brady. The clouds were initially lowered for safety in 2014 and completely removed in 2016. After 12 years and $12 million from donors, the clouds have been reconstructed, with reinstallation starting last week and motorization set for completion in November.
Key facts
- Mountains and Clouds (1976) is Alexander Calder's final sculpture and only work combining standing pieces with a hanging mobile.
- The 51-foot-tall installation is made of painted aluminum sheets and features five triangular mountains and four oval clouds.
- Calder died of a heart attack at age 78 in 1976, just months after his design was chosen and a day after presenting a model in Washington, D.C.
- The sculpture was posthumously created with estate approval and dedicated on May 5, 1987, in the Hart Senate Office Building's nine-story atrium.
- Senator Nicholas F. Brady of New Jersey raised $650,000 for its construction.
- The clouds were lowered in 2014 and removed in 2016 due to structural safety concerns after a 2011 earthquake.
- The restoration cost $12 million from two private donors and used lighter carbon-fiber composite material for the rebuilt clouds.
- Reinstallation began last week, with motorization to rotate the clouds expected to take until sometime in November.
Entities
Artists
- Alexander Calder
- Christian Quilici
- Jo Lawson-Tancred
- Nicholas F. Brady
- Francis X. Clines
- Olivia Diaz
- Nina Heller
- Christian Thorsberg
- Kim Shirley
- Jon Shirley
Institutions
- Calder Foundation
- Hart Senate Office Building
- U.S. Capitol
- Architect of the Capitol
- New York Times
- Artnet
- Roll Call
- Smithsonian Magazine
- Flickr
- Microsoft
- ARTnews
- ArtsJournal
Locations
- Capitol Hill
- Washington, D.C.
- New Jersey
- United States