Lot 319A
  • 319A

Joan Miró

Estimate
280,000 - 350,000 GBP
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Description

  • Joan Miró
  • Sans titre
  • signed Miró. (lower right), dated 17/XI/77. and dedicated a M. Rosa i Rafael Orozco, amb tot l'afecte (lower left); dated XI/77 on the reverse
  • gouache, brush and ink, wash and coloured crayon on paper
  • 77 by 56cm., 30 1/4 by 22in.

Provenance

Rafael Orozco, Spain (acquired directly from the artist)
Private Collection (acquired from the above, circa 1990)
Sale: Christie’s, New York, 9th May 2013, lot 140
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Condition

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down and attached to the mount intermittently along all four edges. The right edge is slightly unevenly cut. The sheet is slightly time-stained. There are two repaired tears to the centre and the lower part of the left edge. There are some flattened creases at the lower edge and some gentle undulation is visible at the edges due to the process of attaching to the mount. There are some minor spots of paint loss to the green and blue central pigments and two further spots to the leftmost red element. This work is in overall good 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. 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."

Catalogue Note

Painted in 1977, Sans titre is a striking and superbly assured example of Joan Miró's mature work. Executed with an astonishing technical flair and the economy of pictorial means typical of the last decades of the artist’s life, the present work reveals Miró’s style oscillating between figuration and abstraction. The vibrantly coloured central shapes coalesce to create a form which suggests a figural basis, with the contours seeming to depict a head, arm and legs. Yet there are arguably other pictorial elements which can be discerned, leaving an intriguing uncertainty as to the true subject of the image. The same year he painted the present work, the artist addressed the ambiguity inherent in these pictures: ‘It might be a dog, a woman, or whatever. I don't really care. Of course, while I am painting, I see a woman or a bird in my mind, indeed, very tangibly a woman or a bird. Afterward, it's up to you’ (Joan Miró & Georges Raillard, Ceci est la couleur de mes rêves, Paris, 1977, p. 128). The works that Miró completed during his mature period demonstrate a level of expressive freedom, exuberance and confidence in his craft, all qualities which endow Sans titre with an irresistible sense of joie-de-vivre.

Sans titre is dedicated to Miro’s close friends, Rosa and Rafael Orozco. Their friendship had an unusual and dramatic beginning: on New Year’s Eve 1965 Miró’s daughter, Maria, was in a car accident and suffered a serious injury to her leg. Transported to a local clinic, she was looked after by Dr Orozco, who happened to be on duty that evening. Dr Orozco’s care was vital in aiding Marie’s recovery over the following months, and the grateful Miró became close friends with the doctor and his wife as a result.