Mobile à la Croix de Lorraine called France Forever, 1942 This work takes its name from the movement founded in 1940 in the United States to support the French resistance and act as relays of Free France's representatives. It is a work of major French heritage interest and is emblematic of both American solidarity with occupied France and Alexander Calder s gratitude to a country that took him in and revealed him as an artist during the interwar period. It became part of the collec- tions of the Musée de l Armée in 2020.
A bass violin cut down to a cello, 1572 Made by Andrea Amati (c. 1505-1577), this exceptional instrument is of ex- quisite quality and characteristic of the master s work. It is one of his first violins, the others have virtually all dis- appeared, and the painted decoration would suggest it was an order for the court of King Charles IX. A rare testi- mony to the origins of the Cremona violin, later to become the standard of excellence in this field, this nation- al treasure was acquired by the Music Museum in 2020.
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