Joan Miro (Spanish, 1893 – 1983)
La Métamorphose (The Metamorphosis), 1978
Reference: Dupin 999
Etching and Aquatint with Knife Scrapes on Arches paper.
Image Size: 42 1/8 in x 29 1/2 in (107 cm x 75 cm)
Sheet Size: 54 1/2 in x 38 in (138.5 cm x 96.5 cm)
Edition of 50
The work is certified verso by Rosa Maria Malet, directed the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona.
PRICE: on request
Joan Miró’s La Métamorphose (1978) exemplifies his late-career mastery of printmaking, particularly in etching and aquatint. The work is a striking orchestration of biomorphic abstraction, gestural spontaneity, and symbolic density—hallmarks of Miró’s visual language. The composition is dominated by a bold black form, its sinuous, interwoven lines enclosing vibrant red, blue, and green accents. These colors, quintessential to Miró’s palette, contrast against the stark white background, heightening the sense of depth and movement.
The title, La Métamorphose, suggests transformation—an ever-present theme in Miró’s oeuvre. The figures within the composition appear in flux, their forms oscillating between the recognizable and the surreal. Eyes, a recurrent motif in Miró’s work, stare out from multiple angles, evoking a sense of omniscience or dreamlike observation. The linear elements, resembling constellations, antennae, or surreal appendages, further enhance the organic dynamism of the piece.
Miró was known for his process of automatism, allowing subconscious imagery to emerge. His belief that painting should be “a spark that ignites the imagination” resonates in this work, where the imagery resists singular interpretation and instead invites personal introspection. The knife-scraping technique adds a visceral quality, emphasizing physicality in contrast to the fluidity of the aquatint washes.
Miró’s work in the 1970s was deeply experimental. Having worked extensively in painting, sculpture, and ceramics, he found new expressive potential in printmaking, pushing the medium to its limits. His etchings from this period often featured thick black backgrounds, as seen here, which provide a dramatic stage for his playful, yet enigmatic, iconography.
The notion of metamorphosis also aligns with Miró’s fascination with transformation and the primal forces of nature. His works often straddled the line between abstraction and figuration, embodying his belief that “a form gives birth to another, and still another.” This organic evolution is evident in the fluidity of the shapes, which morph and interact as if part of an unseen, cosmic narrative.
Miró once stated:
“I try to apply colors like words that shape poems, like notes that shape music.”
This approach is palpable in La Métamorphose, where color and form coalesce into a rhythmic, lyrical composition that defies rigid interpretation.
