Black Sun 1953

Alexander Calder, known for his playful mobiles, made this painting, Black Sun, with paint on canvas. What strikes me first is the way he lets the stark contrast of black and white do all the work. The painting feels like a study in simple forms: circles, triangles and meandering lines. Look how the brushstrokes vary. Some are bold and thick, giving real weight to the shapes, while others taper off into delicate points, creating a sense of movement. It's like he's choreographed a dance between these elements, all of which is just balanced enough to feel dynamic, not chaotic. "Black Sun" reminds me a bit of Joan Miró's paintings, with their playful abstraction and focus on shape, but in Calder’s work, there's a certain groundedness, maybe because of the weight of black against white. Both artists remind us that art can be serious fun.