Fêtes.

presentation copy inscribed by calder

A fine example of the complete portfolio of Fêtes, with seven aquatints and the original wrappers designed by Calder.

The inscription reads, 'Si vous aimez les | Fêtes, | Faites donc | Sandy Calder | Fait pour Gerald | Cramer, quand il aura | fini de Cramer', which loosely translates to 'If you like to party, then please do. Sandy Calder does for Cramer when he's finished burning'. There are two word plays with Fêtes and Faites and Cramer's surname with the colloquial French meaning to burn. Galerie Gerald Cramer was a Swiss gallerist and publisher who worked closely with the leading artists of the

Fêtes is a prose poem by French author Jacques Prévert, honoring Calder's remarkable achievements as a modern artist. Prévert explained that Calder is a 'sorcerer…of happiness', one whose art is a 'pleasure of eyes and heart'. Prévert was struck by Calder's seemingly effortless process, in which spontaneity, originality, and pure freedom of expression made him unclassifiable.

In preparing the illustrations for this project, Calder devised an unconventional technique for printing the brilliantly coloured aquatints that accompany Prévert's text. Calder first made a preliminary drawing in colour, and then cut sheet metal that had been prepared in aquatint to match the drawing. The various metal forms served as printing surfaces, which were laid out on a press and colours applied. The metal plates were then run through the press, transferring the colour to the paper, while simultaneously embossing the sheet.

Limited edition, one of 150 copies on vélin d'Arches, from a total edition of 225, inscribed in ink to Gerald Cramer on the half-title, signed by the author and artist in pencil on the justification; folio (46 x 34 cm); complete portfolio of 7 aquatints in colour after Calder; loose in the original engraved wrapper with Calder's design, with original orange cloth box, title in black to spine, corner bumped and partly faded, a fine copy.