The Viking 1969

Alexander Calder painted "The Viking" with gouache on paper. Gouache is such a great medium for quick, bold decisions, and you can see that here in the way Calder builds up this swirling composition. There’s a real flatness to the image. He’s using a primary palette of red, yellow and blue, each tethered by black outlines. See how the paint application is almost matte, with visible brushstrokes? It makes the colors feel solid, grounded. The texture created by the gouache is a reminder of the hand that made it. The way the red and yellow loop around the blue, it’s almost like a dance! Calder was known for his mobiles, but this work really makes me think of Joan Miro’s paintings, with that same playful geometry and bold use of colour. It’s a reminder that art is a conversation, where artists borrow, remix, and riff off each other’s ideas.