By Joan Miró
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Joan Miro (1893–1983), titled Composition (Composition), from the album Les Lithographies de L'Atelier Mourlot, Paris (The Lithographs of the Mourlot Workshop, Paris), originates from the 1965 edition published by Redfern Gallery, London; printed by Mourlot Freres, November, 1965. This artwork reflects Miro’s poetic abstraction, where floating forms, rhythmic line, and vibrant visual symbols coalesce into a dreamlike composition that captures the artist’s exploration of spontaneity, imagination, and the subconscious.
Executed as a lithograph on velin d’Arches paper. 10 x 7.5 inches. Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued. The impression reflects the exceptional quality associated with the Mourlot atelier, renowned for its collaborations with the most important artists of the twentieth century.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Joan Miro (1893–1983)
Title: Composition (Composition), from Les Lithographies de L'Atelier Mourlot, Paris (The Lithographs of the Mourlot Workshop, Paris), 1965
Medium: Lithograph on velin d’Arches paper
Dimensions: 10 x 7.5 inches
Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1965
Publisher: Redfern Gallery, London
Printer: Mourlot Freres, Paris
Catalogue Raisonne: Cramer, Patrick, and Joan Miro. Joan Miro, Catalogue Raisonne des Livres Illustres. P. Cramer, 1989, illustration 91; Miro, Joan, et al. Joan Miro : Lithographs. Tudor, 1972-1992, illustration 332.
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From Les Lithographies de L'Atelier Mourlot, Paris, published by Redfern Gallery, London, 1965
Notes:
Excerpted from the album (translated from French), This album was published on the occasion of the exhibition, "The Mourlot Workshop" at The Redfern Gallery, 20, Cork Street London WI, December 7, 1965 to January 31, 1966. There were printed of this work M examples on velin d’Arches, and C examples on velin de Rives BFK, reserved for the artists, collaborators, and friends of the Imprimerie Mourlot and the Redfern Gallery.
About the Publication:
Les Lithographies de L'Atelier Mourlot, Paris (The Lithographs of the Mourlot Workshop, Paris), published in 1965 by the Redfern Gallery in London, stands as a landmark publication dedicated to one of the most important print ateliers of the twentieth century. Produced in conjunction with a major exhibition highlighting the achievements of the Mourlot workshop, the album celebrates the collaborative relationship between artists and master printers that defined modern lithography. Mourlot Freres, based in Paris, worked closely with leading figures of modern art, including Picasso, Miro, Chagall, Braque, and many others, providing the technical expertise necessary to translate their visions into lithographic form. The publication presents a curated selection of original lithographs that exemplify the range, innovation, and artistic excellence of the atelier, reflecting both the technical mastery of Mourlot and the creative diversity of the artists it supported. Printed with exceptional care and distributed through an international gallery context, the album represents a significant moment in the history of twentieth century printmaking, bridging the worlds of exhibition, publication, and artistic production. Today, it remains highly regarded by collectors and scholars as a definitive document of the Mourlot workshop’s central role in shaping modern graphic art.
About the Artist:
Joan Miro (1893–1983) was a Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramicist whose imaginative, dreamlike vision helped spearhead the Surrealist movement and left an indelible mark on modern art. Born in Barcelona and deeply rooted in Catalan culture, Miro moved to Paris in the early 1920s where his playful shapes, cosmic motifs, and childlike yet sophisticated abstractions broke new ground alongside the great innovators of his time. His artistic dialogue aligned with contemporaries such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Jackson Pollock, Georges Braque, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, each of whom challenged the conventions of form, color, and symbolism. Miro distilled these ideas into a uniquely poetic visual vocabulary birds, stars, and bold spectral forms emerging from flat planes of color that has inspired scores of artists and continues to influence modern and contemporary masters including Banksy, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns. His works are represented in leading museums worldwide, including MoMA, the Guggenheim, the Tate, and the Centre Pompidou, and remain highly sought after by collectors. The highest price ever paid for a Joan Miro artwork is approximately 37.06 million USD, achieved in June 2012 at Sotheby's London for Peinture (Etoile Bleue) (1927).
Joan Miro Composition...
Category
1960s Surrealist Elizabeth Quandt Art
