Joan Miró

A gift from the artist to the present owner in 1976

Executed on textured, thick hand-made wove paper, probably Spanish and certainly chosen by the artist. This work not laid down, hinged to the mount at the top two corners, floating in the mount. The left, upper and lower edges are deckled. There are some light handling marks. This work is in good original condition. Colours: Fairly accurate in the printed catalogue, although the colours are much more vibrant and the blacks are stronger in the original. The paper tone is slightly warmer in the original
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Women and the night sky provided Miró with a rich and poetic visual language. He first introduced the motif of a woman with a bird into his representational paintings of 1917, but it is only in 1942 when women, stars and birds take centre stage. During the 1960s and 70s, Miró experimented with painting on a wide variety of supports, including canvas fragments, sack cloth and wooden boards. For the present composition, Miró chose Japanese paper onto which he applied gouache with bold and exuberant black brushstrokes and striking colours. Abandoning mimetic representation, Miró developed a highly distinctive vocabulary of signs extracted from recognisable forms, relishing whimsical and ever-shifting ambiguous shapes.
Miró was a close friend of the current owner's parents; the present work was given to her to mark the occasion of her birth. This work stands as a symbol of their friendship and a celebration of new life.