| Spanish painter, sculptor, and ceramist, Joan | | | | "Harlequin's Carnival." He had shifted back to Spain |
| Miró i Ferrà or Joan Miro i Ferra or | | | | after his marriage with Pilar Juncosa in 1929, but had to |
| simply Joan Miro was born on April 20, 1893 in | | | | move back to Paris in 1936 after the Spanish Civil War |
| Barcelona, Spain. He started sketching at the tender | | | | broke out. However, in the year 1940, Joan Miro |
| age of seven and by the age of 14, he was attending | | | | moved back to Spain and tried his hands at sculptures, |
| classes at the La Escuela de la Lonja School of Fine | | | | ceramics, and murals. During 1948-49, the artist kept |
| Arts in Barcelona, along with his business studies. He | | | | shuttling between Spain and Paris and rolled out |
| enrolled himself in the art academy, Gali's Escola d'Art | | | | several lithographic works with the help of his printer |
| in 1912 and studied there until 1915. Joan's early works | | | | friend, Fernand Mourlot. His shows held at The |
| reflect the shades of Fauve and Cubist movements, | | | | Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York in 1951 |
| which were famous in Spain during the 19th century. | | | | and 1959, were amongst the best of the many |
| In 1920, Miro made the first of his many trips to Paris | | | | one-man shows he held during his lifetime. "The Wall of |
| where he met Pablo Picasso and other Surrealist | | | | the Moon" and "The Wall of the Sun" are two ceramic |
| poets and writers of the likes of Max Jacob, Pierre | | | | murals Joan made for the UNESCO building in Paris in |
| Reverdy, and Tristan Tzara. In spite of being frequently | | | | 1957-59. Joan's sole glass mosaic mural, the |
| identified with the Surrealist movement, the artist never | | | | "Personnage Oiseaux (1972-78)" in the United States is |
| accepted the movement's creed. In 1921, he settled | | | | the largest 2-D project he undertook. One of the most |
| down in Paris and exhibited his first solo exhibition at | | | | valuable pieces, Miro's Tapestry work of 1974 at the |
| Galerie la Lincorne in the same year. His works also | | | | World Trade Center, New York, was destroyed with |
| formed a part of another exhibition, Salon d'Automne in | | | | the Twin Towers. |
| 1923. Miro joined the Surrealist Movement under Andre | | | | In 1954, Joan Miro won a prize for printmaking in |
| Masson and Max Ernst, in the year 1924. A year later, | | | | Venice Biennale. He also won the Guggenheim |
| he held his second solo exhibition and participated in | | | | International Award in 1958 and received the Gold |
| the first Surrealist exhibition at Galerie Pierre in Paris. | | | | Medal for Fine Arts from King Juan Carlos of Spain in |
| He, nevertheless, chose to remain a passive member | | | | 1980. The artist earned his doctorate 'honoris causa' |
| of the movement, and pursued different styles of | | | | from the University of Barcelona in the year 1979. In |
| paintings such as automatic drawing, Expressionism, | | | | 1976, his museum, the Fundació Joan |
| and 'Color Field' painting. | | | | Miró, Centre d'Estudis d'Art Contemporani, was |
| By 1930, Miro had advanced to a distinct style of | | | | officially opened in the city of Barcelona, which has a |
| painting, characterized by the liberal usage of bright | | | | collection of over 200 of his paintings, 175 sculptures, 10 |
| colors and simplified forms that made him an | | | | textiles, 5 ceramics, and around 8,000 drawings. On |
| internationally renowned artist. His work was tilted | | | | December 25, 1983, Miro died of heart disease at his |
| more towards Surrealism and Dada, which is reflected | | | | home in Palma, Mallorca. |
| the best in his one of his most famous paintings, | | | | |