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Email to FriendSigned Joan Miro, Etching Aquatint Carborundum, Le Chef des Équipages (Head of the Crew), 1973  |
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| Artist: | Miro, Joan (1893 - 1983) |
|---|---|
| Title: | Le Chef des Équipages (Head of the Crew), 1973 |
| Reference: | D. 574 |
| Medium: | Original Etching, Aquatint, and Carborundum |
| Image Size: | 53 3/5 x 23 1/6 in (136.9 x 58.9 cm) |
| Framed Size: | approx. 64 x 34 in (162.6 x 86.4 cm) |
| Signed: | This work is hand signed by Joan Miró (Barcelona, 1893 - Palma, 1983) in pencil in the bottom center of the work. |
| Edition: | Artist's proof annotated H.C. (Hors d'Commerce or artist's proof) in pencil in the lower center (aside from the addition of 50) |
| Condition: | This work is in wonderful condition, the colors are richly saturated. |
| Gallery Price: Item# 3338 | Sorry, this item is sold. Please visit the rest of our Miro fine art collection |
| Historical Description: | |
|---|---|
| Le Chef des Équipages features bold, bright lines intermixed with an array
of greens, blues, reds, and yellows to create an amusing and whimsical character
unique to Miró's œuvre of work. The composition extends on three sides
to the edge of the paper, and with its grand scale, suggests this piece is bursting
with energy and color. Inspired by a new engraving technique during the late 1960s,
Miró begins to regain added enthusiasm with the production of his works
as Le Chef des Équipages is a brilliantly colored and dramatic example
of how he implemented these new styles, driving him to create a number of pieces
during this period.
Created in 1973, this work is an artist's proof annotated H.C. (Hors d'Commerce or artist's proof) in pencil in the lower center (aside from the edition of 50). This work is hand signed in pencil by Joan Miró (Barcelona, 1893 - Palma, 1983) in pencil in the bottom center. Published by Maeght éditeur, Paris and printed by Morsang, Paris, this piece is stamped with the Fundacio Joan Miró stamp on verso and hand-signed by the authenticator from the Fundacio Joan Miró with the archive number also annotated on verso. Miró was fortunate enough to have learned techniques of silicon carbide
engraving, a technique introduced in 1967 to Miró by Robert Dutrou. It
allowed him to work on a larger scale, with bolder, brighter lines and colors
seen in this piece. Standing apart from the majority of his other works, the
grand size of Le Chef des Équipages allows for the complete experience
of color and life that Miró had intended for his audience. In his words:
DOCUMENTED AND ILLUSTRATED IN: 1. Dupin, Jacques. Miró Engraver, vol. II 1961-1973, New York, 1989.
Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 574 on pg. 211.
| |
| Style: | Surrealism, 20th Century Modern Surrealist Spanish Master |
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Biography of Joan Miro
Joan Miro (1893 - 1983)
Joan Miró Ferra was born April 20, 1893, in Barcelona. At the age of 14, he went to business school in Barcelona and also attended La Lonja’s Escuela Superior de Artes Industriales y Bellas Artes in the same city. Upon completing three years of art studies, he took a position as a clerk. After suffering a nervous breakdown, he abandoned business and resumed his art studies, attending Francesc Galí’s Escola d’Art in Barcelona from 1912 to 1915. Miró received early encouragement from the dealer José Dalmau, who gave him his first solo show at his gallery in Barcelona in 1918. In 1917, he met Francis Picabia.
In 1920, Miró made his first trip to Paris, where he met Pablo Picasso. From this time, Miró divided his time between Paris and Montroig, Spain. In Paris, he associated with the poets Max Jacob, Pierre Reverdy, and Tristan Tzara and participated in Dada activities. Dalmau organized Miró’s first solo show in Paris, at the Galerie la Licorne in 1921. His work was included in the Salon d’Automne of 1923. In 1924, Miró joined the Surrealist group. His solo show at the Galerie Pierre, Paris, in 1925 was a major Surrealist event; Miró was included in the first Surrealist exhibition at the Galerie Pierre that same year. He visited the Netherlands in 1928 and began a series of paintings inspired by Dutch masters. This year he also executed his first papiers collés and collages. In 1929, he started his experiments in lithography. Miro's first etchings date from 1933. During the early 1930s, he made Surrealist sculptures incorporating painted stones and found objects. In 1936, Miró left Spain because of the civil war; he returned in 1941. Also in 1936, Miró was included in the exhibitions Cubism and Abstract Art and Fantastic Art, Dada, Surrealism at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. The following year, he was commissioned to create a monumental work for the Paris World’s Fair.
Miró’s first major museum retrospective was held at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1941. That year, Miró began working in ceramics with Josep Lloréns y Artigas and started to concentrate on prints; from 1954 to 1958, he worked almost exclusively in Miro prints and ceramics. He received the Grand Prize for Graphic Work at the Venice Biennale in 1954, and his work was included in the first Documenta exhibition in Kassel the following year. In 1958, he was given a Guggenheim International Award for murals for the UNESCO building in Paris. The following year, he resumed painting, initiating a series of mural-sized canvases. During the 1960s, he began to work intensively in sculpture. Miró retrospectives took place at the Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris, in 1962, and the Grand Palais, Paris, in 1974. He also worked with carborundum around this time. In 1978, the Musée National d’Art Moderne exhibited over 500 works in a major retrospective of Miro original drawings. Joan Miro died December 25, 1983, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Joan Miro prints and unique original works are commonly seen in museums and art galleries in USA and Europe.
Joan Miró created a large wool and hemp tapestry titled "The World Trade Center Tapestry" that adorned the lobby of 2 World Trade Center. It was destroyed by the collapse of the tower on September 11, 2001. ¹
Historical Joan Miró exhibitions
¹ Lives and Treasures Taken. Library of Congress.
