| Nanette Calder,
a talented artist in her own right, was the mother of one
of America's greatest artist, Alexander Calder. This painting
is a portrait of Nanette’s daughter, Margaret Calder Hayes,
sister to Alexander Calder.
Artistic
talent was encouraged and fostered within the Calder family
through Nanette’s husband, Alexander Sterling Calder and
father in law, Alexander Milne Calder.
Margaret
Calder Hayes was born in Paris, France in 1896 and died
in Berkeley, California in 1988. She married Kenneth Hayes,
raised two sons, Calder and Kenneth, and was active in many
community endeavors throughout California. She was instrumental
in the development of the UC Berkeley Art Museum and conducted
art classes for children in her home for some 18 years.
-from Three
Alexander Calders: A Family Memoir, written by Margaret
Calder Hayes
Nanette
studied at the Academie Julien and the Sorbonne from around
1888- 1893. When she returned to Philadelphia and studied,
or painted for fun, at the Penna Academy of the Fine Arts
where she met father, A. Stirling Calder, an assistant instructor
and married him on February 22, 1895. She painted all her
life until her eyes “played tricks” and was essentially
a portrait painter. She took orders and sold a few paintings,
but subordinated her work to care for and help father. She
was considered “gifted” by art friends who knew her work.
After her
children (Sandy[Alexander] and I) were out from under and
she could, she took drawing lessons at the League in New
York where they lived and when discussing Sandy’s painting
(he uses the primary colors straight from the jars) said
“ I could teach him a thing or two about paint, but of course,
he is not interested” about which she said “I am trying
to express solidity by a single line as Sandy does. But
I am essentially a painter.” Which means she models with
paint.
-from a
documentation letter about the painting, Portrait of
Margaret Calder Hayes, written by Margaret Calder Hayes
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