The “CHESS SET” by Alexander Calder, created around 1944, is an artwork grounded in the Expressionism movement and belongs to the design genre. Calder, who is renowned for his innovative mobile sculptures that embrace movement and abstraction, also applied his distinctive artistic language to this chess set.
The chess set in the image features a simplistic yet striking design. It departs from traditional chess pieces, adopting geometric shapes and stylized forms that convey the essence of each chess piece’s role and importance. The pieces are crafted with a bold color scheme of blue and red, set against a chessboard that showcases a checkered pattern of light and dark squares. The board itself, bounded by a light frame, establishes a clean contrast that highlights the vividness of the individual pieces.
Each piece is distinguishable by its unique form, though not immediately recognizable to those accustomed to standard chess sets. The design of the pieces resonates with Calder’s artistic style, where the focus is on the underlying concept and aesthetic impact rather than realistic representation. This chess set is not only a functional game but also a remarkable example of Calder’s extension of his expressionist art into everyday objects, merging playful creativity with utilitarian design.
