One of Kaare K. Nygaards famous friends in the world of art was Alexander ("Sandy") Calder (1896-1976). Calder was educated first to be an engineer but soon knew that his greatest talent was in art.  He is particularly well known for his mobiles which hang in large cities all over the world.  Calder was born to artist parents in Philadelphia Pennsylvania but lived a large part of his life in Europe.

Nygaard and Calder first met each other because of illness.  Elly Burger was Nygaards secretary for many years.  She was also a friend of Marcel Duchamps wife.  Duchamp, a French avant gard painter, was a friend of Calder and also had been Nygaards patient. When Calder became sick, Duchamp recommended that he contact Nygaard.  Their doctor and patient relationship developed into a warm friendship that lasted until Calder died in 1976.

The letters exchanged between them pertain in large part to Calders health.  His prostate problems were fully discussed in communication that crossed the Atlantic.  The goal was to get the Mississippi  to run freely again.  In these letters Nygaard expresses great admiration for Calders art. He very rarely mentions his own activity as an artist.   However, once he wrote that he was very excited about a future exhibition of his work and remarked humorously that he was afraid of being murdered by the critics.

Nygaard received many fine works of art from Calder, among them the mobile named The Fish.  He later gave this to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota where he had worked for many years. Calder also decorated one of his doctors coats with his own signature. In response to the death of Nygaards wife Ella in the spring of 1976, Calder gave him 22 lithographs as a gift.  That year Nygaard lost two people whom he was close to as the artist also died.   In commemorating his death, art critic Kathie Beals said that it was Nygaard, his doctor, who knew Calder best.

Source:
Eidsvåg, Inge, Henders gjerning, Lillehammer, Norway 1993.