Joan Miró

Louis Broder, Paris (acquired directly from the artist)
Private Collection, France (a gift from the above)
Thence by descent 

Patrick Cramer, Catalogue raisonné des livres illustrés, Geneva, 1989, no. 148, illustration of a lithograph made after the present work pp. 370-71  

Pastel, gouache and collage on black paper. The sheet is hinged to the mount in two places along the upper edge. The collage elements are stable. There are pinholes to all four corners and to the centre of each edge. Sheet is undulating due to application of media. There are a few tiny flecks of paint loss to the red gouache. This work is in good original condition.
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.

The present work is a study for a series of lithographs which illustrated a poem written by the artist. Louis Broder, a highly regarded publisher of illustrated books and other graphic works, helped to produce Miró's vision in printed form, using studies such as these as his guide.

Rainbow
Shooting star
A guitar falls
The cords of this guitar tear the sky
the swallows make a nest on each cord
strangle a woman who was beautiful.

—Joan Miró, Le Lézard aux plumes d'or, published by Louis Broder in Paris, 1971, translated from the French