Joan Miró, Spanish 1893-1983- Sans titre (letter), 1963; crayon and coloured ink, signed lower right and dated 2/VI/63, 27.8x22cm (ARR) Provenance: Nicholas Gallery, Belfast; Private Collection; Morgan O'Driscoll, Dublin, where purchased by the...

Joan Miró, Spanish 1893-1983- Sans titre (letter), 1963; crayon and coloured ink, signed lower right and dated 2/VI/63, 27.8x22cm (ARR) Provenance: Nicholas Gallery, Belfast; Private Collection; Morgan O'Driscoll, Dublin, where purchased by the present owner. Note: This lot is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity from ADOM. This piece is one of two drawings in the sale by the Spanish artist Joan Miró. In 1920, after studying at art in Spain, Miró moved to Paris to join the bustling artistic community at Montparnasse, where he was witness to the development of Surrealism, Fauvism, and Cubism. Although he has been associated with these movements, which had a clear and unmistakeable influence on his work, Miró did not officially align himself with any of these movements. Instead, he combined elements from all of these approaches to develop his own unique style which defies any straight-forward attempt at categorisation. This can be seen clearly in this piece, which is a great example of Miró’s approach, with its rejection of formal representation or any obvious subject-matter, its interest in the exploration of shapes and colour, and its almost naïve flatness. Miró’s work has been exhibited throughout his lifetime, and continues to be the subject of large-scale shows today. His first solo exhibition in Paris was held at Galerie la Licorne in 1921, whilst his presence on the American art scene was ensured by his representation by the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York. His work was included in the Homage to Surrealism exhibition which was held in 1959, alongside the art of contemporaries such as Salvador Dalí, Enrique Tabará, and Eugenio Granell. The largest retrospective of Miró was held at the Grand Palais in Paris in 2018, whilst two museums dedicated to the artist’s work, in Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona, have been established.