Joan Miró

Aimé Maeght, Paris

Private Collection, Sweden (acquired from the above)

Christer Salén, Gothenburg (by 1972 and sold: Bukowskis, Stockholm, April 24, 2007, lot 270)

Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Geneva, Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Le Visage de l'Homme dans l'art contemporain, 1967, no. 11, illustrated in the catalogue (with the dimensions 75 by 105)

Paris, Galerie Maeght, Cartons, 1965, no. 24

New York, Pierre Matisse Gallery, Cartones, 1965, no. 26, illustrated in the catalogue (with the dimensions 105 by 75)

London, Marlborough Fine Art Ltd., Joan Miró, 1966, no. 26, illustrated in color in the catalogue

Lund University, Skanska Konstmuseum, 1968

Gothenburg, Konstmuseum, Joan Miró, 1968

Stockholm, Lilevalchs Konsthall, Miró, 1972, no. 20

Singapore, Opera Gallery, Masterpieces, The Ultimate Collection, 2007, illustrated in color in the catalogue

 

Jacques Dupin and Ariane Lelong-Mainaud, Joan Miró, Catalogue raisonné, Paintings, vol. IV: 1959-1968, no. 1040, illustrated p. 40

Very good condition. There are a few nicks and scuffs to the extreme edges of the board, mostly covered by the frame.
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.

In this calligraphically powerful composition from 1963, Miró explores the subversive potential of his established lexicon of signs and symbols.  His highly graphic rendering of Personnage pays little regard to defining its titular subject, which is purely a vehicle for the artist's emphatic application of black paint.  The gesture is not unlike the tag of an urban graffiti artist, where the economized, bold mark is the unmistakable calling card of a complex artistic persona.

Jacques Dupin touches upon this very point in his discussion of Miró's paintings from the the early 1960s: "In some cases, the artist stressed the power, the brutality of a summary, rough graphism, born of a single gesture and closely related to graffiti.  In other cases, a few economical, light lines serve as counterpoint to the free play of splashes and spots of color.  Seemingly contradictory, both approaches reflect a mistrust of the sign, a desire to eliminated calculated, fixed forms from his vocabulary so as to gain in spontaneity, directness, and a purer revelation of the act of painting" (J. Dupin, Miró, New York, 2003, p. 303).