Alexander Calder operating Le Cirque during the Calder retrospective at the Fondation Maeght in 1969.Alexander Calder in Saché in front of his mobile stabiles and the BMW he painted for the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1975, with Hervé Poulain at the wheel (here on the left), a great art lover, but also a gentleman driver.This is what Jean Todt said: "One of my auctioneer friends, Hervé Poulain, who specializes in the sale of contemporary paintings, told me about the possibility of seeing Alexandre Calder paint a car to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I thought it was a great idea. The problem was that he couldn't find a manufacturer who was sensitive to this idea. And that's when I tried to convince a manufacturer - at the time I was a rally teammate - and I convinced BMW to accept this challenge. BMW had lent a car, a BM30CSL, which was painted by Calder. That car is actually in the BMW museum in Munich today, and every year this idea has been repeated, and there have been great painters like Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, Caesar who for years painted a car that participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and today it's part of the BMW heritage."Alexander Calder painting the portrait of James Johnson Sweeney in his studio La Gouacherie, Saché. James Johnson Sweeney is the man who made the great years of modern art in New York, directing the MoMA from 1935 to 1946, then the Guggenheim from 1950 to 1962, organizing exhibitions that still remain as references in the history of art. Today, his grandson, Manus, has opened a gallery in Bordeaux. We have worked together for many years, and it has always been a pleasure to work with him, as he is charming, cultured and often very, very funny!Alexander Calder and Joan Miro in the Miró Labyrinth, with The Lunar Bird, Fondation Maeght, Saint Paul-de-Vence.Alexander Calder and Joan Miró at the opening of the Calder retrospective at the Fondation Maeght, 1969.
