Serpent au vitrail 1970

Editor: This is Alexander Calder's "Serpent au Vitrail" from 1970, an acrylic painting. The bright red background really makes the swirling, almost hypnotic, central form jump out. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Instantly, I'm struck by how Calder is repurposing the symbolic weight of the serpent. Historically, across cultures, the serpent is associated with wisdom, healing, but also chaos and deception. What happens when you place that primal symbol, the serpent, within the visual language of a stained-glass window - "vitrail" in French? Editor: So, it's a kind of... clash? The serpent, something ancient, represented in a very modern, almost Pop Art style? Curator: Exactly! The hard-edged, geometric shapes contrast dramatically with the serpent’s traditionally fluid form. Think about the symbolism of color here, too. Calder uses primary colours within a predominantly black matrix – reminiscent of the leading in stained glass. Editor: I see it. The colors almost look like…jewels embedded in black. Does that reinforce the stained-glass imagery? Curator: It absolutely does. This contrast creates a powerful tension. Calder is forcing us to reconcile the ancient and the modern, the sacred and the secular. And that slight imperfection in the circle gives the whole image a more organic feel, doesn’t it? Editor: Yes, I thought it was almost like it’s slithering. I really appreciate how knowing the symbolism enriches the viewing experience. Curator: Precisely! Calder’s 'Serpent au Vitrail' becomes more than just an abstract image; it’s a meditation on cultural memory itself.