JOAN MIRÓ | Maquette de l'arc de la Fondation Maeght

Private Collection, Paris (and sold: Christie's, New York, November 7, 2007, lot 459)
Howard Russeck Fine Art, Palm Beach

Alain Jouffroy & Joan Teixidor, Miró Sculptures, Paris, 1980, illustration of another cast p. 195
Miró in Montreal (exhibition catalogue), Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, 1986, illustration of another cast p. 239
Miró (exhibition catalogue), Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Martigny, 1997, illustration of another cast p. 149
Joan Miró: Métamorphoses des formes, Collection de la Fondation Maeght (exhibition catalogue), Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, 1991, illustration of another cast p. 58
Joan Miró: In the Orbit of the Imaginary (exhibition catalogue), Museum of Contemporary Art, Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, Andros, 2002, illustration of another cast n.p. 
Emilio Fernández Miró & Pilar Ortega Chapel, Joan Miró, Sculptures, Catalogue Raisonné 1928-1982, Paris, 2006, no. 59, illustration of another cast in color p. 73

Variegated black-green patina. A few pindot losses to the patina to the top of the arc. Some additional pitting to the surface of the bronze, likely inherent to the casting process. Some dust in the deeper crevices. This work is in overall very 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.
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.

Between 1962 and 1964, Miró focused on creating the Labyrinthe Miró at the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. The monumental version of L’Arc (de triomphe, according to Aimé Maeght), for which the present work is a maquette, is cast from concrete and considered among the most impressive pieces in this sculpture garden—a synthesis of classical, Catalan and animalistic features that characterize the artist's unique brand of Surrealism (see fig. 1). The opening of the Fondation Maeght in 1964 saw the establishment of the first institution dedicated to contemporary art in France.