Cahiers d'Art

03/09/2026

Last autumn, Cahiers d‘Art published “ Chess Knightmares”, an exceptional art book edited by Alexander S. C. Rower, President of the and grandson of Alexander Calder. On the occasion of the book’s launch, we were honored to welcome Alexander S. C. Rower and Daniel Birnbaum for a conversation at rue du Dragon, exploring Calder‘s engagement with chess and his enduring friendship with Marcel Duchamp.

The full conversation and the highlights are coming soon.

♟️

Since arriving in Paris in 1926, chess had piqued Calder’s imagination. He expanded on its visual vocabulary in the 1940s, creating three chess sets, among other related sculptural objects, and participating in the pioneering 1944 exhibition The Imagery of Chess: A Group Exhibition of Paintings, Sculpture, Newly Designed Chessmen, Music and Miscellany at Julien Levy Gallery in New York. Chess Knightmares emerges as a pivotal work, where the chessboard becomes a stage for chaos and imagination.

In 1944, Alexander Calder created Chess Knightmares, a portfolio of 46 ink drawings that reimagine the game‘s Kings, Queens, Knights, Bishops, Rooks, and Pawns as irreverent, anarchic figures. Mischievous, unsettling, and absurd, they embrace seduction, violence, and humor in the spirit of Alfred Jarry and Luis Buñuel. Marcel Duchamp added alternate titles to many of the drawings, and Mary Reynolds suggested ”Knightmares“ as a name for the collection.

19/08/2026

New Publication | Nouvelle publication
Julio & Roberta González : Une amitié avec les Zervos au cœur de l'art modern

EN
Published following the exhibition Julio & Roberta González, held at the Musée départemental d'Art moderne – collection Zervos in Vézelay, from July 13 to November 15, 2024.
This publication was produced with the invaluable support of the González Administration.
Julio & Roberta González is the sixth volume in a collection launched in 2021, following books devoted to Picasso, Kandinsky, Hajdu, Domela, and Picasso, Crommelynck et les autres.
Now available on Cahiers d'Art's online bookstore. Please note: this title is currently available in French only.

FR
Publié à la suite de l'exposition Julio & Roberta González, présentée au musée départemental d’Art moderne-collection Zervos à Vézelay, du 13 juillet au 15 novembre 2024.
Ouvrage réalisé avec le précieux soutien de la González Administration.
Julio & Roberta González constitue le sixième volume d'une collection initiée en 2021 avec des ouvrages dédiés à Picasso, Kandinsky, Hajdu, Domela, Picasso, Crommelynck et les autres.
Disponible dès à présent dans la librairie en ligne de Cahiers d'Art. À noter : ce titre est pour l'instant disponible uniquement en français.

Tête au miroir (Head with a Mirror), 1934. Forged bronze, 59.5 x 35 x 29.5 cm. Musée Zervos, Vézelay. © Julio González
Roberta González, Femme tricotant et oiseau (2), 1952. © Roberta González

18/08/2026

Available at our online bookstore ♟️

17/08/2026

Own a timeless piece of modern art history with the Calder Chess Set by Cahiers d’Art—where sculpture, design, and imagination converge on the chessboard.

Calder Foundation
© 2025 Calder Foundation, New York. All Rights Reserved.
Calder® is a Registered Trademark of Calder Foundation, New York.

14/08/2026

Exhibitions: Cahiers d’Art Centennial

To celebrate a hundred years of Cahiers d’Art, several of the world’s most prestigious institutions are hosting exhibitions featuring works from their collections that are linked to their presence in the Revue. This new perspective provides an opportunity to revisit the major role played by Cahiers d’Art in promoting modern art and building major collections. This cycle of exhibitions is organized with the curatorial participation of Daniel Birnbaum.
https://cahiersdart.com/pages/exhibitions-cahiers-d-art-centennial

Now you can find us in:
Peggy Guggenheim Collection 12/02/2026 – Fall 2026

Musée Départemental d'Art Moderne - Collection Zervos
03/04/2026 - 08/11/2026

LUMA Arles
01/05/2026 - 31/03/2027

Cahiers d’Art — a historic Paris publisher and gallery exploring modern and contemporary art through editions, exhibitions, and design.

12/08/2026

The Calder Chess Set — A Masterpiece of Art and Play

Cahiers d’Art is honored to present the long-awaited Calder Chess Set. This edition, published by Cahiers d’Art in collaboration with the Calder Foundation, faithfully recreates Calder’s most sculptural and iconic chess set — a true collector’s piece for art and design enthusiasts.

In 1944, visionary artist Alexander Calder created an original chess set for The Imagery of Chess, a groundbreaking exhibition at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York. Of the three sets he designed in the 1940s, this was the one Calder kept for play in his Roxbury, Connecticut home.

Challenging tradition, Calder redefined the visual language of chess: the queen stands taller than the king, reflecting his belief in matriarchal balance and the guiding strength of women. The oversized knight disrupts the board, commanding attention and symbolizing his invitation to view both art and life with fresh eyes. Instead of black and white, Calder chose vibrant red and blue, rejecting notions of binary opposition or built-in superiority.

A close friend of Marcel Duchamp, Calder once gifted an earlier version of his chess set to the famed artist and chess enthusiast—who declared, “While all artists are not chess players, all chess players are artists.”

Each piece in this Calder Chess Set has been faithfully recreated from detailed 3D scans of the original and precisely milled from solid wood, preserving the texture, scale, and spirit of Calder’s handmade work. A facsimile of a rarefied art object, it embodies the dynamic ingenuity that defines Calder’s legacy.

© 2025 Calder Foundation, New York. All Rights Reserved.
Calder® is a Registered Trademark of Calder Foundation, New York.

Calder Foundation

09/08/2026

One week left to catch "Calder. Rêver en équilibre" Fondation Louis Vuitton, on view through August 16, 2026.

08/08/2026

During our summer closure (August 1–24), you can always find a selection of Cahiers d'Art publications at Librairie du Palais de Tokyo.
Have a nice visit!

05/08/2026

Calder: Chess Knightmares, a vivid exploration of Calder’s unruly 1944 chess drawings and his lifelong fascination with the game. Featuring never-before-published works, essays by Jed Perl and Alexander S. C. Rower, and rare archival material, the book captures Calder’s wit, dark humor, and enduring friendship with Marcel Duchamp designed by
M/M (Paris)

Available at the Calder Gardens Shop, Cahiers d’Art bookstore, and online.

Calder Foundation
Images: Calder: Chess Knightmares, 2025 Photo Claire Dorn, © 2025 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York © 2025 Cahiers d'Arts

03/08/2026

Cahiers d'Art à LUMA Arles