Joan Miró

Galerie Maeght, Paris

Acquired from the above 

Joan Miró (exhibition catalogue), Musee d'art moderne, 1978, illustration of another cast p. 81

Joan Miró: Peintures, sculptures, dessins, ceramiques (exhibition catalogue), Saint-Paul, Fondation Maeght, 1979, illustration of another cast p.183

Alain Jouffroy & Joan Teixidor, Miró Sculptures, Paris, 1980, no. 239, illustration of another cast p. 210

Emilo Fernández Miró & Pilar Ortega Chapel, Joan Miró, Sculptures. Catalogue raisonné, 1928-1982, Paris, 2006, no. 353, illustration of another cast in color p. 331

Very good condition. Mottled dark brown patina with gold undertones. No significant scratches of abrasions are visible on the surface. The sculpture is structurally sound.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Miró was inspired to create Tête from a crinkled and twisted candy wrapper.  Starting with a tiny piece of transparent foil, a discarded scrap which would never otherwise warrant a second look, Miró an entirely new form.  With a few folds, a twist to create the neck, an ovoid shaped incision and a concave recession for eyes, the artist brought his "head" to life. Through his standard process of enlargement, Miró transforms that tiny scrap into a life-sized work of art.  He took particular care with the patina of this bronze in order to simulate the shiny, reflective surface of the original material. But Tête possesses a strength and longevity of form that is in sharp contrast to its origins, and its solidity is beautifully emphasized by its ebony surface and the deep recesses of the molded bronze.

Like much of the artist's work, the composition departs from representation and reality in an attempt to stimulate the imagination.  According to Duncan Macmillan, "From these transformed objects, Miró produces personnages, women, birds, and combinations of all three. These new creations are invested with the mysterious animation of the artist's touch and yet retain an unbreakable link with the ordinary. They become a metaphor for the infinite variety and absolute peculiarity of human individuality" ("Miró's Public Art," Miró in America (exhibition catalogue), Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1982, p. 111). 

The present work is numbered 2/2 from an edition of two.