A set of 12 wooden coloring pencils contained in a metal box presenting Miro’s work “Autoportrait II” (1938) made two years after fleeing Spain to Paris, in the attempt of escaping the Spanish Civil War and World War II, reflects Miro’s reclusion into the subconscious world of dreams and nature.
Joan Miró is one of the greatest surrealist artists of the 20th-century. Hailing from Barcelona, Spain, Miró originally went to business school. He soon completely abandoned the practice for art after suffering a nervous breakdown.
His early work had various inspirations, including Paul Cezanne and Vincent Van Gogh. Through these greats, he channeled a poetic vision of his work, which allowed a natural transition into the Surrealism. He eventually quickly became one of the most important representatives of the group.
Miró remained interested in the possibility of creating new forms of visual messages that could exist outside the substantive world. The focus on the abstract in his art led to breathtaking surrealist imagery that subsequently lodges itself in our minds.
His successes earned him the Guggenheim International Award in 1958. In 1974, He produced a tapestry for the World Trade Center which was displayed for many years at the building, but, unfortunately, was one of the most expensive works of art lost during the September 11 attacks.
