Sculpture: Toys for All Ages

The sculpture seems like the pastime of a thousand elves. Perhaps the tiny fellows actually exist in the mischievous mind of Alexander Calder, who, at 66, has all the mien of a beardless Santa Claus, right down to his habitual red flannel shirt. He has given so much to the world for so long that he is the U.S.'s best-known artist abroad. His fancies in metal strike many people as toys, but also remind them that toys are made to stimulate the imagination.

Calder began rebuilding toys for himself when he was eight....