Miró

g a l l e r ya d a m

Miró

24 CORK STREET London W1S 3NJ t: 0207 439 6633

13 JOHN STREET Bath BA1 2JL t: 01225 480406

e: info@adamgallery.com www.adamgallery.com

Graphic works

1. Plate XI (from Le Lézard aux plumes d’or)

Lithograph in colours on Japan Kochi paperSigned in pencil and inscribed E.A. (edition 50) 1971Image: 33.6 x 48 cm - Sheet: 35.5 x 50 cm

Maeght 794 Published by Louis Broder, Paris Printed by Mourlot, Paris

Joan Miró - Master PrintmakerJoan Miro was born in Barcelona in 1893. In 1920 he went to Paris for the first time, meeting Pablo Picasso and by mid twenties, he had

already been introduced to some of the greatest names in Dadaism and Surrealism: Francis Picabia, Max Jacob, Pierre Reverdy, Tristan Tzara

and more. In 1926 Miro and Max Ernst designed the sets for the Diaghilev Ballet “Romeo and Juliet”.

In the mid thirties Miro made his first prints (lithographs) for Tristan Tzara’s “L’arbre du voyageur”. It was the painter Louis Marcoussis, who

introduced Miró to printmaking. It became a vital part of his art and he experimented endlessly with a broad variety of techniques, later

saying ‘it [printmaking] makes my painting richer; it gives me new ideas; it lets me proceed from new bases. Everything is connected.’ Miró

explored intaglio techniques at Stanley William Hayter’s workshop in New York in the 1940’s. He then became involved with lithography

through the encouragement of his Parisian dealer Aimé Maeght: making individual prints, as well as posters, invitations, catalogue covers,

and even postcards.

A major breakthrough for his graphic work arrived through his introduction, by Robert Dutrou, to carborundum (silicon carbide engraving)

in 1967. Miró found that by combining this new technique with other etching methods, especially aquatint (a painterly technique of

engraving a resin ground on an etching plate rather than the plate itself), he could invent ‘images to rival any painting’.

In 1954, Miro was awarded the engraving prize at the Venice Biennale and during the sixties and seventies, big Miro exhibitions were held

in London and New York. The Miro foundation in Barcelona was founded in 1975. Prints always held an important place in the work of

Miro, the majority printed with Fernand Mourlot then with Adrien Maeght. Miro also illustrated over 250 books with prints (lithographs

and etchings).

In the album ‘Le Lézard aux plumes d’or’ Miro combines the images with a ‘free form poem’. Taking his inspiration from Mallarmé and

Apollinaire, Miró abolishes the distinction between calligraphy and spontaneity. The title ‘Le Lézard aux plumes d’or’ evokes the ‘pompous

mythological metamorphosis’ of reptiles. Miro’s lizard lives surreal adventures bringing the sun back into the sky whilst avoiding the

crescent moon contained within kabbalistic symbols. Miró worked with the art publisher Tériade on two illustrated books depicting the

stories of the Ubu character, first on ‘Ubu aux Baléares’ in 1971. The inspiration was taken from an Alfred Jarry theatre piece ‘Ubu roi’

which depicted a tyranic and grotesque king. It was considered one of the first pieces of absurd theatre. For Miró the story echoed the

Franco dictatorship and was a way to denounce the abuses of the modern dictator. Ubu was drawn as half-man, half-beast and monstrous

rhinoceros.

Miro died on Christmas day 1983 in Palma, Mallorca

3. Untitled (from Barcelona series)

Etching Aquatint and carborundum on GuarroSigned in pencil and inscribed H.C. (Edition 50) 1972Sheet: 184 x 70 cm

Dupin 594 Published by Sala Gaspar, Barcelona Printed by J J Torralba, Barcelona

2. El Innocente

Etching and Aquatint and on Arches paperSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 170) 1974Plate: 16 x 11 cm Sheet: 25 x 33 cm

Dupin 677Published by Dutrou, Paris Printed by Morsang, Paris

4. Untitled (from Le marteau sans maitre)

Etching and Aquatint on RivesSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 125) 1976Sheet: 44 x 66 cm

Cramer 216 Published by Le Vent d’Arles, Paris Printed by Morsang, Paris

5. Untitled (from Le marteau sans maitre)

Etching and Aquatint on RivesSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 125) 1976

Sheet: 44 x 66 cm

Dupin 950 Cramer 216 Published by Le Vent d’Arles, Paris

Printed by Morsang, Paris

6. Plate IV (from Oda à Joan Miró)

Lithograph in colours on Guarro paperSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 75) 1973Sheet: 87.5 x 60 cm

Cramer 906 Published by Polígrafa, Barcelona Printed by Polígrafa, Barcelona

7. Eunuque imperial

Lithograph in colours on Arches paperSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 50) 1975Sheet: 57 x 80 cm

Mourlot 1023Published by Maeght, Paris Printed by Polígrafa, Barcelona

9. Plate VII (from Homentage à Joan Prats)

Lithograph in colours on Guarro paperSigned in pencil and inscribed H.C. (Edition 75) 1971Sheet: 54 x 75 cm

Maight 717Published by Polígrafa, Barcelona Printed by Polígrafa, Barcelona

8. La Bague d’Aurore

Etching and Aquatint and on ArchesSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 60) 1957Sheet: 38 x 28 cm

Dupin 125Published by Louis Broder, Paris Printed by Atelier Crommelynck, Paris

10. Untitled (from Ubu aux Baleares)

Lithograph in colours on Arches paperSigned in pencil and numbered (Edtion 120) 1971Sheet: 50 x 65 cm

Published by Tériade, Paris Printed by Mourlot, Paris

11. Untitled (from Ubu aux Baleares)

Lithograph in colours on Arches paperSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 120) 1971

Sheet: 50 x 65 cm

Mourlot 782 Published by Tériade, Paris

Printed by Mourlot, Paris

12. Ocellaire

Etching and aquatint in colours on Rives paperSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 75) 1972Image: 29.5 x 47 cm - Sheet: 56 x 76 cm

Dupin 559 Published by Polígrafa, Barcelona Printed by Maeght, Paris

13. Picasso I els reventos

Etching and aquatint in colours on Guarro paperSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 182) 1973

Sheet: 54 x 75 cm

Dupin 588 Published by Gustavo Gili, Barcelona

15. La Harpie

Etching and Aquatint and carborundum Signed in pencil and inscribed H.C. (Edition 75) 1969Sheet: 140 x 93 cm

Dupin 506Published by Maeght Editeur, Paris Printed by Morsang, Paris

14. Affiche pour l’exposition “Livres Illustres et lithographies

Lithograph in colurs on Arches velin Signed in pencil and inscribed H.C. (Edition 100) 1973Sheet: 64.7 x 50 cm

Maeght 898Published by Galerie Gerald Cramer, Geneva Printed by Polígrafa, Barcelona

17. La fille du jardinière

Lithograph in colurs on Rives vellum Signed in pencil and numbered (Edition 90) 1963Sheet: 140 x 93 cm

Maeght 407BPublished by Maeght Editeur, Paris Printed by Maeght Editeur, Paris

16. Cartones III

Lithograph in colurs on Arches velin Signed in pencil and numberbed (Edition 75) 1965Sheet: 54 x 71 cm

Maeght 452 Cramer 103Published by Mourlot, Paris Printed by Pierre Matisse Gallery, New York

19. Frontispiece (from Le Lézard aux plumes d’or)

Lithograph in colours on parchmentSigned in pencil and inscribed E.A. (edition 50) 1971

Image: 33.6 x 48.1 cm - Sheet: 35.5 x 50 cm

Maeght 790Published by Louis Broder, Paris

Printed by Mourlot, Paris

18. Plate VIII (from Le Lézard aux plumes d’or)

Lithograph in colours on parchmentSigned in pencil and inscribed E.A. (edition 50) 1971Image: 33.6 x 48.1 cm - Sheet: 35.5 x 50 cm

Maeght 806Published by Louis Broder, ParisPrinted by Mourlot, Paris

20. Bonjour Max Ernst

Etching and aquatint in colours on Arches paperSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 100) 1976Sheet: 66 x 51 cm

Dupin 936 Published by George Visat, Paris Printed by Morsang, Paris

21. Serle III

Etching and aquatint in colours on Arches paperSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 50) 1953Image: 30 x 24 cm Sheet: 53 x 38 cm

Published by Maeght, Paris Printed by Atelier Lacourier, Paris

23. Village d’Oiseaux

Etching in colours with carborundum on Arches paperSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 75) 1969Image: 92.5 x 63.5 cm - Sheet: 105 x 75 cm

Dupin 526 Published by Maeght, Paris Printed by Maeght, Paris

22. Le cri du coq de bruyère

Etching and aquatint on ArchesSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 50) 1973Sheet: 47 x 66 cm

Dupin 508Published by Maeght, Paris Printed by Maeght, Paris

25. Cartones II

Lithograph in colours on Arches velinSigned in pencil and numbered (edition 75) 1965Image: 33.6 x 48.1 cm - Sheet: 35.5 x 50 cm

Maeght 452Published by Pierre Matisse Gallery, New YorkPrinted by Mourlot, Paris

24. Miro Sculptures

Lithograph in colours on ArchesSigned in pencil and numbered (edition 150) 1971Sheet: 85.5 x 73 cm

Maeght 755Published by Walker Art Center, MinneapolisPrinted by Maeght, Paris

26. Une Femme, 1932

Pochoir in colours on ArchesSigned in pencil and numbered (Edition 300) 1958Image: 37.5 x 46.4 cm - Sheet: 64.7 x 47.6 cm

Mourlot 1712Published by Maeght, Paris

g a l l e r ya d a mwww.adamgallery.com

24 CORK STREET London W1S 3NJ t: 0207 439 6633

13 JOHN STREET Bath BA1 2JL t: 01225 480406