Joan Miró

Galerie Maeght, Paris (acquired directly from the artist)
The Pace Gallery, New York
James Goodman Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above

Alain Jouffroy & Joan Teixidor, Miró Sculptures, Paris, 1980, no. 176, illustration of another cast p. 123
Fundació Joan Miró, Obra de Joan Miró, Barcelona, 1988, no. 1577, illustration of another cast p. 431
Pierre Gimferrer, The Roots of Miró, Barcelona, 1993, no. 1256, illustration of another cast p. 407
Franco Basile, Joan Miró, Bologna, 1997, illustration in color of another cast p. 231
Emilio Fernández Miró & Pilar Ortega Chapel, Joan Miró, Sculptures. Catalogue raisonné, 1928-1982, Paris, 2006, no. 198, illustration in color of another cast p. 199

Excellent condition. There is some surface dirt apparent in the deeper crevices of the patina. The bronze displays a dark brown/black patina with light patina undertones in the recesses. There are no apparent scratches, abrasions or corrosion, and 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's sculpture assemblages are among his most inventive works of art. These post-war creations draw upon the artist's radical experimentation as a Surrealist in the 1930s, and also address issues of abstraction, figuration and conceptualism that were central concerns of artists working in post-war Europe and the United States. Re-purposing utilitarian objects like forks, pipes and wire, the artist would devise fanciful artistic creations that allowed him to reinterpret the world around him. The present sculpture of a rooster is a brilliant example of Miró's artistic alchemy.

This bronze was executed from a ceramic version of Coq, made by the artist in 1956. It was around this time that Miró's fellow Spaniard Picasso was equally fowl-minded in his approach to sculptural assemblages, creating his famous La Grue, 1951-52, from similar "found" objects from his studio (see fig. 1).