Barcelona Series
Encyclopedia
The Barcelona Series is a series of fifty black and white lithographs made by Joan Miró
and published in 1944. They are currently in the permanent collection of the Miró Foundation
in Barcelona
.
. These black and white lithographs depict deformed images of animal and human figures. The pictures were a reaction to the Spanish Civil War
, which was being waged at the time they were created. Even prior to the war, Miró had painted figures which expressed the pain of the forthcoming conflict in his Wild Paintings, such as in Man and Woman in Front of a Pile of Excrement
. Here he used the printing skills he had been experimenting with since the 1930s to create a series that can be interpreted as either 50 individual pieces of art or possibly just a single one. Miró includes distorted ogres who are impotent. The ogres could represent Franco and his generals, but are known also to be based on the fictitious dictator, Ubu Roi
, who was created by Alfred Jarry
in 1898.
The printing of these lithographs during the war required 350 sheets of paper. It is thought that the limited availability of paper led to the print run being limited to a total of just seven sets. After the publication of these prints Miró went to Paris in 1947, again taking a leading place in an exhibition of Surrealist Art
, confirming his important position within that movement.
. Because of the censorship in Spain under General Franco following the civil war it was impossible to exhibit these pictures. Miró at the time was in internal exile in Mallorca
.
Joan Miró
Joan Miró i Ferrà was a Spanish Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Barcelona.Earning international acclaim, his work has been interpreted as Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike, and a manifestation of Catalan pride...
and published in 1944. They are currently in the permanent collection of the Miró Foundation
Fundació Joan Miró
The ' is a museum of modern art honoring Joan Miró and located on the hill called Montjuïc in Barcelona, Catalonia.-History:...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
Description
This print series can be considered a forerunner to Miró's 1941 oil series ConstellationsConstellations (Miró)
Constellations is a series of 23 small paintings on paper, initiated by Joan Miro in 1939 in Varengeville-sur-Mer and completed in 1941 between Mallorca and Mont-roig del Camp. The Fundació Joan Miró preserves a work of this series and The Morning Star, one of the most important pieces of the series...
. These black and white lithographs depict deformed images of animal and human figures. The pictures were a reaction to the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, which was being waged at the time they were created. Even prior to the war, Miró had painted figures which expressed the pain of the forthcoming conflict in his Wild Paintings, such as in Man and Woman in Front of a Pile of Excrement
Man and Woman in Front of a Pile of Excrement
Man and Woman in Front of a Pile of Excrement is a 1935 oil painting on copper by Joan Miró.-Description:...
. Here he used the printing skills he had been experimenting with since the 1930s to create a series that can be interpreted as either 50 individual pieces of art or possibly just a single one. Miró includes distorted ogres who are impotent. The ogres could represent Franco and his generals, but are known also to be based on the fictitious dictator, Ubu Roi
Ubu Roi
Ubu Roi is a play by Alfred Jarry, premiered in 1896. It is a precursor of the Theatre of the Absurd and Surrealism. It is the first of three stylised burlesques in which Jarry satirises power, greed, and their evil practices — in particular the propensity of the complacent bourgeois to abuse the...
, who was created by Alfred Jarry
Alfred Jarry
Alfred Jarry was a French writer born in Laval, Mayenne, France, not far from the border of Brittany; he was of Breton descent on his mother's side....
in 1898.
The printing of these lithographs during the war required 350 sheets of paper. It is thought that the limited availability of paper led to the print run being limited to a total of just seven sets. After the publication of these prints Miró went to Paris in 1947, again taking a leading place in an exhibition of Surrealist Art
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
, confirming his important position within that movement.
Provenance
The images were created between 1939 and 1944 by the artist. They were printed at Miralles, a small printer in Barcelona, in 1944, after Miró returned from his self imposed exile in France. Only five sets were created of the series, together with two artist's proof sets. Today only the location of two of these series is known. One set is in the Joan Miró Foundation whilst a second set is owned by the descendants of Joan PratsJoan Prats
Joan Prats was a Catalan art promoter and a close friend of Joan Miro-Life:Joan Prats was born in 1891 to a family who sold hats...
. Because of the censorship in Spain under General Franco following the civil war it was impossible to exhibit these pictures. Miró at the time was in internal exile in Mallorca
Mallorca
Majorca or Mallorca is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the Balearic Islands.The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca...
.