Widely considered one of the leading Surrealists (though he was never officially part of the group), Joan Miró was also a pioneer of automatism: a method of spontaneous drawing that attempted to express the inner workings of the human psyche. Miró used color and form in a symbolic manner, developing intricate compositions and a wandering linear style that combined abstract elements with recurring motifs such as birds, eyes, and the moon. During his lifetime, Miró received the Grand Prize for Graphic Work at the 1954 Venice Biennale, exhibited at the first Documenta exhibition in 1955, and enjoyed multiple high-profile retrospectives. Today, Miró’s work—which has sold for eight figures at auction—can be found in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art, among other institutions. His public sculptures and murals are installed in cities around the world, including Milan, Paris, and Barcelona.
Matisse said of Miro, "Without a single line the piece would fall," referring to Miro's wonderful and skillful use of balance. The best works by Joan Miro are always perfectly balanced compositions in both form and color. This work entitled, "Maravillas Con Variaciones Acrósticas En El Jardín De Miró (Wonders With Aristocratic Variations In Miró's Garden)" created in 1975 is an excellent example of Miro's technical skill. To the untrained eye, the image at first appears as a jumble of random gestures and children's scribbles; however a little closer look reveals the genius at work. The red, green, brown, yellow, and blue wax lines are applied both thick and thin and both the forms and colors are chosen quite specifically for maximum visual impact. The overlying thick black wash lines provide depth of field by forcing the wax colored lines back into the background, creating a figure to ground relationship.
Authentic lithograph
Signed by the artist and includes a full Certificate of Authenticity
