Alexander Calder was not only an artist, but an engineer. He was born into a family of creative thinkers. His grandfather and father were well-known sculptors; his mother was a painter. La Grande Vitesse is a great example of how a sculpture can be gigantic and seem delicate and light at the same time. What makes Calder's work unique is that he combines engineering with artistry. He strove to achieve balance and developed huge mobiles (sculptures that move) perfecting the movement of his pieces. The mobiles are simple in form and color and demonstrate a balance of mass and shape.

Calder, in addition to making sculpture, was also interested in painting, lithography, jewelry, utensils, toys and illustrations.

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