This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Chien aboyant a la lune (Dog Barking at the Moon), from Verve, Revue Artistique et Litteraire, Vol. VII, No. 27–28, originates from the 1953 issue published by Editions de la revue Verve, Paris, under the direction of Teriade, Editeur, Paris, and printed by Mourlot Freres, Paris, 1953. This playful and dreamlike composition captures Miro’s characteristic blend of whimsy, symbolism, and abstraction. The image—an iconic motif of a small dog gazing up and barking at the moon—embodies both humor and mystery, evoking themes of desire, solitude, and wonder. Through bold shapes, floating lines, and radiant color, Miro transforms a simple scene into a poetic meditation on the connection between the earthly and the cosmic.
Executed as a lithograph on velin du Marais paper, this work measures 14 x 21 inches, with centerfold and stitch perforations as issued. Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of the Mourlot Freres atelier, renowned for its collaborations with the foremost modern artists of the 20th century.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Joan Miro (1893–1983)
Title: Chien aboyant a la lune (Dog Barking at the Moon), from Verve, Revue Artistique et Litteraire, Vol. VII, No. 27–28, 1953
Medium: Lithograph on velin du Marais paper
Dimensions: 14 x 21 inches, with centerfold and stitch perforations as issued
Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1953
Publisher: Editions de la revue Verve, Paris, under the direction of Teriade, Editeur, Paris
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris
Catalogue raisonne reference: Miro, Joan, et al. Joan Miro: Lithographs. Leon Amiel, 1972, illustration 189.
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From Verve, Revue Artistique et Litteraire, Vol. VII, No. 27–28, published by Editions de la revue Verve, Paris, 1953
About the Publication:
Verve, Revue Artistique et Litteraire was one of the most influential art periodicals of the 20th century, founded in Paris in 1937 by the visionary Greek-born publisher Teriade (Stratis Eleftheriades). Conceived as a synthesis of art and literature, Verve brought together the greatest modern artists and writers of its time—Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Georges Braque, Joan Miro, Fernand Leger, and others—alongside poets and philosophers such as Paul Eluard, Albert Camus, and Jean-Paul Sartre. Each issue was a work of art in itself, luxuriously printed by master lithographers such as Mourlot Freres and produced in collaboration with leading typographers and designers. Verve became a platform for avant-garde creativity, publishing original lithographs and essays that reflected the evolving spirit of modernism. Miro’s collaborations with Teriade for Verve exemplify his capacity to blend spontaneous imagery with profound poetic resonance.
About the Artist:
Joan Miro (1893–1983) was a Catalan painter, sculptor, printmaker, and ceramicist whose visionary imagination and lyrical abstraction made him one of the most influential and beloved artists of the 20th century. Born in Barcelona, Miro drew inspiration from Catalan folk art, Romanesque frescoes, and the luminous landscapes of Mont-roig del Camp, developing a deep connection to nature that infused his work with vitality and symbolism. After formal training at the Escola d'Art in Barcelona, he absorbed the lessons of Post-Impressionism and Cubism before moving to Paris in the early 1920s, where he became a leading figure in the Surrealist movement. There, Miro forged a personal visual language of biomorphic shapes, floating symbols, and radiant color harmonies that reflected both spontaneity and spiritual depth. In creative dialogue with peers such as Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, he helped revolutionize modern art by dissolving the boundaries between abstraction and dream imagery. Miro's inventive approach extended far beyond painting, embracing sculpture, ceramics, and monumental public commissions that redefined how art could interact with space and emotion. His expressive freedom and gestural abstraction profoundly influenced later artists including Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Alexander Calder, Jean Dubuffet, Antoni Tapies, and Joan Mitchell, inspiring generations who sought to merge instinct, color, and imagination. Today, Miro's work remains a cornerstone of modernism, prized by collectors and celebrated in major museums worldwide. His highest auction record was achieved by Peinture (Etoile Bleue) (1927), which sold for £23,561,250 (approximately $37 million) at Sotheby's, London, on June 19, 2012.
Joan Miro Chien aboyant a la lune,
Miro Verve...