The Tilled Field

The Tilled Field is a surrealist painting by Joan Miro from 1924. It can now be found within the permanent collection of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, USA.

Miro had several years earlier produced a large amount of Cubist work before then starting to experiment with Surrealism. He would later switch to a more abstract style, and then stick closely to that for the rest of his career. This talented individual was able to achieve success with each new challenge that he took on, and never lost his ambitious nature, which eventually led to him taking on other mediums, such as ceramics and sculpture. This particular artwork, originally named in French as La terre labourée, or Terra llaurada in the artist's Catalan, was just under a metre in width and presented in a landscape format. It was, after all, a depiction of a field scene, but with a very different approach to what had been seen in previous centuries. Miro would spend time in the company of many other artists, particularly in his early days as an artist, and so new ideas would occur to him all the time - in this example he chooses to take on the weird and wonderful world of surrealist art.

When taking the title of Tilled Field, there is enough already to help us spot some elements of this painting. The background is separated into two, representing the field itself, and then the sky above the horizon. We can spot some cacti to the left hand side, with prickly edges. This immediately places us within a hot climate, potentially the artist's own home region of Catalonia. There is then a house in the far distance, looking somewhat damaged. The bold, wavy lines to the left must be the tilled ground. Then perhaps there is a tree to the right, produced from tones of brown and green. But the rest, it seems, requires a more careful study. A sun appears to the top left, with birds flying close by. Then some animal shapes appear on the right hand side - the detail really is considerable within this artwork.

The Tilled Field remains one of the most famous artworks by Miro, of those based on the Surrealist style. It features an exciting blend of objects, many of which are very difficult to understand at first glance. Experts have examined this important painting in great detail and achieved a concensus on most elements in this work. It is important to understand, even celebrate, the sheer breadth of work that this artist managed to achieve across his lifetime, as many of these expressions of creativity are often forgotten by those who don't have a deep knowledge of his career. The Guggenheim have helped to draw attention to this particular piece by promoting it within their collection.