Joan Miró a FAMOUS SPANISH ARTIST

JOAN MIRÓ

Joan Miro was born April 20, 1893 in Barcelona, Spain. Miro is one of the great pioneers of modern art. Miro began drawing at a young age as a way to escape the strictures of family life. His choice of motifs - tufts of grass, insects, tiny birds - revealed an early affinity for the organic, a love, as one commentator says, of "the little things" of this world. After finishing his military service Miro worked in an office, and attended crafts courses in his spare time. "I was a paragon of awkwardness," he confessed. In painting, too, judged by academic standards, Miro was entirely unsuccessful.

Joan Miro Ferra, the future artist was the son of a goldsmith and the grandson of a blacksmith. His mother was from the nearby Balearic Island of Majorca, and her father was a cabinetmaker. No doubt this heritage of craftsmanship had an impact on his desire and aptitude to become an artist. As a boy, Miro divided his time between Barcelona and Majorca, places steeped in the proud traditions and culture of Catalonia, a province in the northeast of Spain, strongly influenced by France, which has long sought its independence.

As a Catalan child at the turn of the century, he was imbued with a rich tapestry of folklore and fantasy that enriched his dreams and later informed his paintings. Miro, who was notoriously taciturn, is quoted as saying, "When I see a tree, for instance a carob tree, which is a very typical tree at home in Catalonia, I feel that tree is talking to me. It has eyes. One can talk to it. A tree is also a human being and so is a pebble."



In 1919, Joan Miro traveled to Paris, where he met Pablo Picasso and made friends with him.

Joan Miro (1893-1983) ranks among the most important artists of the 20th century.

An inventive and imaginative painter, sculptor, ceramicist and printmaker, he changed forever the course of modern art. Although he derived his own visual vocabulary from nature, his works are frequently viewed as interesting abstract compositions, an effect that is enhanced by his vivid palette.

Joan Miro died on December 25, 1983, in Spain.

Upon his death in 1983, Miró left the world a rich legacy of works executed in many media and spanning eight decades.




Spanish Art Galleries and Artists

Spain is home to some of the greatest artists and its cities are some of Europe's top destinations for art enthusiasts. Spain's most celebrated Renaissance was the Cretian El Greco who moved to Toledo where most of his main works were produces and can be seen throughout Spain most notably in the churches of Toledo and in the Prado Museum in Madrid. The greatest Spanish painter in history was Diego Velazquez who is well represented in the Prado with works spanning his career including the masterpiece 'Las Meninas'. The Prado is also the place to go to see some of the principal works of Francisco Goya.

For 20th century art Catalunya is the place to visit. Barcelona is home to the renowned Picasso Museum though his most famous work, 'Guernica', is in Madrid's Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. The Fundació Joan Miró and some excellent Catalan galleries are also in Barcelona whilst famous Dalí Museum. As well as Madrid and Barcelona an art tour of Spain would not be complete without a visit to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and in recent times Valencia has become a new destination on the European art circuit.






To get more information about this topic you can visit
http://www.fundaciomiro-bcn.org/ , http://www.museodelprado.es/, http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/
http://www.salvador-dali.org/ , http://www.museoreinasofia.es/ and Miró the movie. Enjoy!!