Joan
Miró

1893–1983

“The spectacle of the sky overwhelms me. I’m overwhelmed when I see, in an immense sky, the crescent of the moon, or the sun.”

Bio

A leading figure in Surrealism, Joan Miró was born in Barcelona in 1893. After early studies in art and a brief stint in business, he suffered a breakdown that led him to fully pursue painting. His early work was influenced by Fauvism, Cubism, Catalan folk art, and Romanesque frescoes, but after moving to Paris and associating with Surrealist poets and painters, his style evolved into a unique fusion of fantasy, memory, and the irrational. Known for organic shapes and bold colors, Miró also explored etching, lithography, ceramics, and mixed media. He earned major accolades including the Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale (1954) and a Guggenheim International Award (1958). Miró passed away in Majorca, Spain, on December 25, 1983.