Painting (1954)

This 1954 painting is in entirely in line with most of Joan Miro's abstract paintings. There are simple shapes and forms produced alongside lines that serve an alternative purpose.

Miro again uses a reduced pallet and a very plain, gradient background that feels random and organic. He always led the eye with colour and detail. We find a whole series of dotted added to the edges of many of the long shapes in this painting, which personally remind me of the Mexican cacti plants. Miro adds three stars here, using his standard approach of three lines, crossing in the middle. It is this style which labelled the abstract movement as childish by some, though for us this is simply one part of the language that he produced over a number of decades. The artist uses a calm blue tone for his background, which always was varied in its precise colour, sometimes darker with no clear reasoning.

The artist studied prehistoric art in his early years and found a passion for that. We can see clear similarities between abstract art and the styles used on internal caves, for example, many centuries ago. Those who really look into the history of art will look well beyond just the Renaissance, but also try to understand the work to have appeared from other parts of the world, as well as going back to the much more simple routines of many thousands of years ago. As education becomes more accessible, there is a better knowledge of global art styles and in European culture this began around the 19th century, where items could be traded for the first time, even original items from other continents could potentially be collected. Europeans have been particularly curious and respectful of African art, Japanese art and also a number of movements to have come from South America. In recent decades there has also been an interest in Mexican artists such as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.