Head

Miró, a leading exponent of Surrealism, discovered modern art in Barcelona with Picabia. He went to join his compatriot Picasso in Paris. Towards the end of his life, Miró, who said he was wary of discussions of his work, took no care to keep his painting “clean”; in this regard, his late work might be compared to Picasso’s and to contemporary “bad painting.” Such blatant carelessness with his working materials reflects the new effects he was trying out, which included burns, for example. That is why drips, smears and uneven areas are so often seen in his later work. This poetic canvas is characteristic of the output of his old age. The black background, crescent moon and fish-shaped heads rendered in vibrant warm tones signal Miró’s painterly world appeal to the imagination. In its extreme simplicity of form and technique, this canvas is a fine example of the artist’s creative vigour in the twilight of his days.

© Successió Miró / SOCAN, Montréal / ADAGP, Paris (2019)