Joan Miró, Ubu Roi (King Ubu) from Suites pour Ubu Roi, 1966

Artist: Joan Miró (1893 - 1983)
Title:Ubu Roi (King Ubu) from Suites pour Ubu Roi, 1966
Reference:M. 498
Medium:Color Lithograph
Image Size:24 11/16 in x 16 3/8 in (62.7 cm x 41.6 cm)
Sheet Size:29 3/8 in x 21 in (74.6 cm x 53.3 cm)
Framed Size:35 5/8 in x 29 1/4 in (90.4 cm x 74.2 cm)
Edition:Numbered from the edition of 75.
Signature:This work is hand signed by Joan Miró (Barcelona, 1893 - Palma, 1983) in pencil in the lower right margin.
Condition:This work is in very good condition, with bold, saturated color throughout the sheet.
ID #w-2938

Historical Description

In Joan Miró King Ubu (Ubu Roi) from Suites pour Ubu Roi, 1966, Miró uses his famous ability to translate the absurd into the beautiful and wonderfully illustrates the plot of the story. Miró transcends the dramatic subject matter of the play itself, portraying this scene as bursting with life, energy, and color. It appears to be an almost comic interpretation as he integrates subtle hints of a childlike, playful quality within the work. Alfred Jarry (1873-1907), the notoriously unconventional playwright wrote "Ubu Roi" as a surrealist interpretation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth." "Ubu Roi's" plot mimics that of Macbeth as we watch Pere Ubu murder a royal family, ascend to power, and flee into exile. In this piece, Miró utilizes brilliant shades of pink, yellow, green, and blue. His use of curved lines and harsh angles creates a sense of motion and conveys a hint of violent or rash action.

Created in 1966, this work is one of 13 lithographs printed in colors, signed and numbered out of an edition of 75, and part of the illustrated book, Suites Pour Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry. This work is hand signed by Joan Miró (Barcelona, 1893 - Palma, 1983) in pencil in the lower right margin and numbered from the edition of 75 in pencil in the lower left margin. This work was printed by Mourlot, Paris and published by Tériade, Paris in 1966.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Joan Miró King Ubu (Ubu Roi) from Suites pour Ubu Roi, 1966 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work).

1. Cramer, Patrick. Joan Miró, The Illustrated Books: Catalogue Raisonné, Patrick Cramer: Geneva, 1989. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 108 on pgs. 280 and 283.
2. Maeght Éditeur. Joan Miró Lithographs, Volume III 1964-1969. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 430 on pg. 100 and detailed on pg. 87.
3. Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Miró L'Œuvre Graphique, Foundation Gulbenkian: Lisbonne, 1974. Listed as catalogue raisonné no. 473 on pg. 121.
4. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:

Joan Miró King Ubu (Ubu Roi) from Suites pour Ubu Roi, 1966 is musuem-grade conservation framed in a complementary moulding with silk mats and optical grade Plexiglas.

Subject Matter: Royalty