The Himalayas 1965

Alexander Calder made this gouache painting, “The Himalayas,” in 1965. Look how he builds up this jagged mountain range with stripes of bold color. He just goes for it! You can see the hand in this, in the uneven edges of the lines. It's about the gesture, the action. It’s interesting to see how he handles the paint. The pigment is matte and opaque, yet the forms remain surprisingly flat and graphic. In the upper right, notice the slight pooling of the blue paint. These imperfections only enhance the image’s handmade quality. You can imagine Calder, maybe in his studio, quickly filling in the forms with deliberate, yet spontaneous brushstrokes. This raw, energetic style is also present in Calder's sculptures and mobiles, where he experiments with form, balance, and movement. You can also see a connection to the bold, simplified forms in the work of Joan Miró, who shares Calder’s playfulness. This kind of art embraces looseness, ambiguity, and the joy of making.