Calder Foundation

Cage within a Cage

Date c. 1939
Media
Rod, wire, wood, string, and paint
Dimensions
37" × 58 3⁄8" × 26 3⁄4"
Collection
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Gift of the Howard and Jean Lipman Foundation, Inc. (no. 75.23a-b)
Historical Photos  5
Related exhibitions  7
The Museum of Modern Art, New York (1943)

The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Alexander Calder: Sculptures and Constructions. 29 September 1943–16 January 1944.

Solo Exhibition
New Gallery, Charles Hayden Memorial Library, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge (1950)

New Gallery, Charles Hayden Memorial Library, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Calder. 5 December 1950–14 January 1951.

Solo Exhibition
Venice (1952)

Venice. XXVI Biennale di Venezia. 14 June–19 October 1952.

Group Exhibition
Arts Council of Great Britain, Tate Gallery, London (1962)

Arts Council of Great Britain, Tate Gallery, London. Alexander Calder: Sculpture–Mobiles. 4 July–12 August 1962.

Solo Exhibition
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (1964)

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Alexander Calder: A Retrospective Exhibition. 6 November 1964–31 January 1965.

Solo Exhibition
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (1976)

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Calder’s Universe. 14 October 1976–6 February 1977.

Solo Exhibition
Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul (2013)

Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul. Calder. 18 July–20 October 2013.

Solo Exhibition
Selected films  1
Alexander Calder: Sculpture and Constructions
Alexander Calder: Sculpture and Constructions 1944Cinematography by Herbert Matter
Chronology  1
19 February–18 March 1944

“Color and Space in Modern Art Since 1900” is on view at Mortimer Brandt, New York. The exhibition includes three sculptures by Calder, including Cage within a Cage and Morning Star.

Works / Standing Mobile 269
Related Timeline
1937–1945 Public Commissions and the War

In 1937, Calder completed Devil Fish, his first stabile enlarged from a model. He received two important commissions: Mercury Fountain (1937) and Lobster Trap and Fish Tail (1939). His first retrospective was held in 1938 at the George Walter Vincent Smith Gallery in Springfield, Massachusetts, followed by another in 1943 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.