Head of a Catalan Peasant
Encyclopedia
Head of a Catalan Peasant is an emblematic sequence of oil paintings and pencil made by Joan Miro
between 1924 and 1925. Miró began this series the same year that André Breton
published his Manifesto of Surrealism. The series was made partly in Paris. For Joan Miró "a peasant
" symbolized rural knowledge, and also reflected his Catalan
identity.
The Fundació Joan Miró
of Barcelona keeps several preparatory drawings for this series.
The work demonstrates that Miro had ties with his homeland throughout his career. Joan Miró created this series in response to the prohibition of the Catalan
language by Miguel Primo de Rivera
. He was also influenced by the the rural environment of Baix Camp
. In this series he further develops the language started in works such as Catalan Landscape (The Hunter ). The sequence followed by Miró has been interpreted several times as a progressive simplification of the same scene. Christopher Green, in turn, says that this is not exactly a linear trend toward simplification, but rather a dilemma, an internal discussion between the artist which creates the filled pictorial space.
, by a repetition of symbols such as the triangular head, the beard
and red hat
(called Barretina
), all combined in one pole figure. In this group of oil paintings, Miró outlines the figure of a farmer several times, working with neutral background blue or yellow. As said Margit Rowell, Joan Miró explained his intentions with this work:
in Washington DC. It became part of the collection as a gift of the Collectors Committee of the institution. The work is signed at lower right: Miró / 1924. The back of the work is signed Joan Miro,Tête de Paysan Catalan, 1924.
identity. The work, conducted in 1925, was made at a time when Miró was gradually moving away from Cubism
. Previously the work had been part of private collection
of Roland Penrose
. Currently the work is preserved in the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. It was acquired along with the help of the Art Fund, the Friends of the Tate Gallery
and the Knapping Fund 1999.
, Stockholm. It joined the museum with the registration number MOM 445, in the legacy of Gerard Bonnier in 1989. He had previously been owned by Jacques Viot, Galerie Pierre (Loeb), Private Samling, Marcel Mabille and Svensk-Fransk Konstgalleriet. This version is one of the synthetic series, dominated by a blue a bit more intense than in the rest of the works. You can also see a black cross, surmounted by a small hat. The space is decorated with a pair of stars, one white and one black.
Joan Miró
Joan Miró i Ferrà was a Spanish Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Barcelona.Earning international acclaim, his work has been interpreted as Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike, and a manifestation of Catalan pride...
between 1924 and 1925. Miró began this series the same year that André Breton
André Breton
André Breton was a French writer and poet. He is known best as the founder of Surrealism. His writings include the first Surrealist Manifesto of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as "pure psychic automatism"....
published his Manifesto of Surrealism. The series was made partly in Paris. For Joan Miró "a peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
" symbolized rural knowledge, and also reflected his Catalan
Catalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
identity.
The Fundació Joan Miró
Fundació Joan Miró
The ' is a museum of modern art honoring Joan Miró and located on the hill called Montjuïc in Barcelona, Catalonia.-History:...
of Barcelona keeps several preparatory drawings for this series.
The work demonstrates that Miro had ties with his homeland throughout his career. Joan Miró created this series in response to the prohibition of the Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
language by Miguel Primo de Rivera
Miguel Primo de Rivera
Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja, 2nd Marquis of Estella, 22nd Count of Sobremonte, Knight of Calatrava was a Spanish dictator, aristocrat, and a military official who was appointed Prime Minister by the King and who for seven years was a dictator, ending the turno system of alternating...
. He was also influenced by the the rural environment of Baix Camp
Baix Camp
Baix Camp is a comarca of Catalonia in northeastern Spain. It is one of the three comarques into which Camp de Tarragona was divided in the comarcal division of 1936....
. In this series he further develops the language started in works such as Catalan Landscape (The Hunter ). The sequence followed by Miró has been interpreted several times as a progressive simplification of the same scene. Christopher Green, in turn, says that this is not exactly a linear trend toward simplification, but rather a dilemma, an internal discussion between the artist which creates the filled pictorial space.
Description
The series shares the synthetic representation of the figure of a Catalan peasantPeasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
, by a repetition of symbols such as the triangular head, the beard
Beard
A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
and red hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
(called Barretina
Barretina
A barretina is a traditional hat that was frequently worn by men in parts of the Christian cultures of the Mediterranean sea such as Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Provence, Corsica, Sicily, Sardinia, part of Naples, part of the Balkans and parts of Portugal.In Catalonia...
), all combined in one pole figure. In this group of oil paintings, Miró outlines the figure of a farmer several times, working with neutral background blue or yellow. As said Margit Rowell, Joan Miró explained his intentions with this work:
Head of a Catalan Peasant (1924)
This first version of the Catalan Peasant was painted in 1924 and is now part of the permanent collection of the National Gallery of ArtNational Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
in Washington DC. It became part of the collection as a gift of the Collectors Committee of the institution. The work is signed at lower right: Miró / 1924. The back of the work is signed Joan Miro,Tête de Paysan Catalan, 1924.
Exhibitions
| Year | Exhibition | Place | City | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Ausstellung | Kunsthaus Zürich Kunsthaus Zürich The Kunsthaus Zürich houses one of the most important art museums in Switzerland and Europe, collected by the local Kunstverein, called Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, and holdings running from the Middle Ages to contemporary art, with an emphasis on Swiss art.Kunsthaus is also the name of the tram stop... |
Zurich | |
| 1936 | International Surrealist Exhibition | New Burlington Galleries | London | |
| 1980 | XIX & XX Century Master Paintings | Acquavella Galleries, Inc. | New-York | |
| 1982 | Miró in Ameria | Museum of Fine Arts | Houston | |
| 1993 | Joan Miró: 1893-1993 | Fundacio Joan Miró | Barcelona | |
| 1993 | Joan Miró: Campo de Estrellas | Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is the official name of Spain's national museum of 20th century art . The museum was officially inaugurated on September 10, 1992 and is named for Queen Sofia of Spain... |
Madrid | |
| 1993 | Joan Miró | Museum of Modern Art | New York | |
| 1997 | Joan Miró: Campesino catalán con guitarra | Fundación Colección Thyssen-Bornemisza | Madrid | |
| 1998-1999 | Joan Miró | Moderna Museet & Louisiana Museum of Modern Art |
Stockholm & Humlebaek |
|
| 2004 | Joan Miró 1917-1934: La Naissance du Monde | Centre Georges Pompidou Centre Georges Pompidou Centre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais... |
Paris | |
| 2008 | La invención del siglo XX. Carl Einstein y las vanguardias | Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía | Madrid | |
| 2008 | Miró: la tierra | Palazzo dei Diamanti i Museu Thyssen-Bornemisza |
Ferrara i Madrid |
|
| 2011 | Miró: The ladder of scape | Tate Modern | London | |
| 2011 | Miró: L'escala de l'evasió | Fundació Joan Miró | Barcelona |
Head of a Catalan Peasant
Is the most unknown of the series, which belongs to a private collector, but has been seen in several exhibitions:Exhibitions
| Year | Exhibition | Place | City | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | MoMA Moma Moma may refer to:* Moma , an owlet moth genus* Moma Airport, a Russian public airport* Moma District, Nampula, Mozambique* Moma River, a right tributary of the Indigirka River* Google Moma, the Google corporate intranet... & Los Angeles County Museum |
New York & Los Angeles | ||
| 1964 | Tate Tate -Places:*Tate, Georgia, a town in the United States*Tate County, Mississippi, a county in the United States*Táté, the Hungarian name for Totoi village, Sântimbru Commune, Alba County, Romania*Tate, Filipino word for States... & Kunsthaus Zürich Kunsthaus Zürich The Kunsthaus Zürich houses one of the most important art museums in Switzerland and Europe, collected by the local Kunstverein, called Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, and holdings running from the Middle Ages to contemporary art, with an emphasis on Swiss art.Kunsthaus is also the name of the tram stop... |
London and Zurich | ||
| 1968 | Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu | Barcelona |
Catalan peasant with guitar
This work demonstrates the process of synthesis that Miró began using in his compositions later in his trip to France in the early 20s, after coming into contact with the Surrealists and Dadaists. Miró began to create his own sign language. In this version of the series, you can see the farmer's body with a hat on an intense blue background.Head of a Catalan Peasant (10 March 1925)
The version preserved in Edinburgh is the third of four Catalan Peasants that Miró made. You can understand this painting as a selfportrait of Miró, which affirms his CatalanCatalan
Catalan is an inhabitant of CataloniaCatalan can also refer to:*Catalan people*Catalan language*Països Catalans, territories where Catalan language is spokenPersons with the surname Catalan:*Eugène Charles Catalan, a mathematician...
identity. The work, conducted in 1925, was made at a time when Miró was gradually moving away from Cubism
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
. Previously the work had been part of private collection
Private collection
A private collection is a privately owned collection of works, usually a collection of art. If seen in a museum alongside a work or describing said work, it signifies that piece of art in a museum is not actually owned by that museum, but is on loan from an independent source. This source will...
of Roland Penrose
Roland Penrose
Sir Roland Algernon Penrose CBE was an English artist, historian and poet. He was a major promoter and collector of modern art and an associate of the surrealists in the United Kingdom.- Biography :...
. Currently the work is preserved in the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. It was acquired along with the help of the Art Fund, the Friends of the Tate Gallery
Tate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
and the Knapping Fund 1999.
Head of a Catalan Peasant 1925
This version is kept in Moderna MuseetModerna Museet
Moderna museet, the Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Sweden, is a state museum located on the island of Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm, that was first opened in 1958. Its first manager was Pontus Hultén...
, Stockholm. It joined the museum with the registration number MOM 445, in the legacy of Gerard Bonnier in 1989. He had previously been owned by Jacques Viot, Galerie Pierre (Loeb), Private Samling, Marcel Mabille and Svensk-Fransk Konstgalleriet. This version is one of the synthetic series, dominated by a blue a bit more intense than in the rest of the works. You can also see a black cross, surmounted by a small hat. The space is decorated with a pair of stars, one white and one black.
Further reading
- Kramer, Hilton. "Modern Art at the National Gallery." The New Criterion 7, no. 8 (April 1989): 3. 1989
- Dupin, Jacques. Miró. New York, 1962: 162, 166. 1962