Joan Miró is one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. He is renowned internationally as a painter, sculptor, printmaker, and ceramicist.  

Miró’s works, which were at the intersection between Surrealism and abstraction, began receiving international attention in the 1920s. Miro had an incredibly prolific career and created artwork in an array of media until the time of his death in 1983. 

A museum dedicated to his work, the , was established in his native city of Barcelona in 1975, and another, the  Foundation, was established in his adoptive city of  in 1981.

Miró’s passionate rejection of traditional painting led him to reference and experiment with multiple styles including Cubism, Dutch Baroque, and Fauvism. His time in Paris in the 1920s and subsequent exposure to Surrealism helped develop his style into the eccentric and symbolic works he is best known for. 

Miró developed a unique visual language by combining abstract elements, specific colors, and reoccurring motifs. His best-known period of work began in the early 1960s where he began receiving many public work commissions. His works are noted for their freshness, body language, and deep meanings. He is an important bridge between Surrealism and abstraction. 

This print is a paradigm of his work and artistic expression. It is from the “Quelques Fleurs” portfolio. The prints in this portfolio were based on watercolors from his book “Je Travaille Comme un Jardiner” (“I Work Like a Gardener”) that were reproduced by Miró as an edition of prints. Each print in this portfolio was dedicated to one of his friends. 

This particular work (#27) is dedicated to the English artist, historian, and poet Roland Penrose. Miró and Penrose both created Surrealist art and ran in the same artistic circles, they shared a close friendship for nearly fifty years. Penrose penned many books on his artist friends, mostly those working in his areas of interest (cubism and surrealism), including books on Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró. 

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“Quelques Fleurs pour des Amis: Penrose. (#27)"

Lithograph

France, 1964

From an edition of 150. 

15”H 11”W (work)

Printed by Mourlot, Paris 

Published by Société Internationale d'Art XXe Siècle, Paris

Very good condition.

Note: images of the original portfolio box and colophon page available by request. 

Literature:  William Griswold. . New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 2001.