Etching on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/joan-miro-1646" aria-label="More by Joan Miró" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Joan Miró</a>
II
Purchased 1983
abstraction
animals: birds
animals: insects & lower animals
astronomy
bird - non-specific
figure
from recognisable sources
landscape
micro-organism
star
<p>Odd creatures squirm and float among abstract forms in Miró’s print. They appear to be evolving within the fluid space of black and green. This amoebic quality was typical of Miró’s post-war imagery. The free-flowing drawing developed from his earlier engagement with Surrealist automatism. It also reflected his interest in the simple lines and colours of prehistoric art.</p><p><em>Gallery label, July 2011</em></p>
paper print etching
23 March 2007 – 24 February 2008
2008-02-24
23 March 2007 – 24 February 2008
2008-02-24
2007-03-23
Tate Modern (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/
2007-03-23
Natural History
Collection based display
Series II
image: 377 × 455 mm
Purchased 1983
<p>Odd creatures squirm and float among abstract forms in Miró’s print. They appear to be evolving within the fluid space of black and green. This amoebic quality was typical of Miró’s post-war imagery. The free-flowing drawing developed from his earlier engagement with Surrealist automatism. It also reflected his interest in the simple lines and colours of prehistoric art.</p>

Display caption
2011-07-20T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/miro-series-ii-p07900" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>P07900</span></a> <b>Series II</b> 1952
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<br/>Etching 14 7/8 × 17 7/8 (377 × 455) on Velin Arches paper 19 3/4 × 25 7/8 (503 × 658), printed at Lacourière Imprimerie and published by Maeght Editeur, Paris
<br/>Inscribed ‘Miró|1952’ b.r. and ‘4/13’
<br/>Purchased from Isselbacher Gallery, New York (Grant-in-Aid) 1983
<br/><i>Lit</i>: Jacques Dupin, Miró Engraver, 1, Paris 1984, p.18, pl.86 (col)
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<br/>This work belongs to the second of six series of <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/e/etching" title="Glossary definition for 'Etching'"><span>etchings</span></a> which Miró made in 1952 and 1953. The first and second series are more closely related in terms of imagery than the subsequent series. Both present boldly and broadly drawn figures reminiscent of some of the ceramics Miró was making with Artigas at the time, while retaining the sense of fluidity characteristic of Miró's <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/b/biomorphic" title="Glossary definition for 'Biomorphic'"><span>biomorphic</span></a> forms of this period. In particular, a number of motifs are to be found in an unpublished set of <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/e/engraving" title="Glossary definition for 'Engraving'"><span>engravings</span></a> of 1947 which surround the poems of Ruthven Todd (Dupin, pp.16–17, repr.). In <span>P07900</span> these have overtones of sexuality and reproduction.
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<br/>‘Series II’ comprises a set of five etchings all from the same plate but inked as follows: (1) black; (2) black, green-brown with blue and brown; (3) black with blue, green, yellow and red; (4) black, green, yellow with blue and red; (5) black and red with blue and yellow. Miró does not appear to have indicted an order for the series. The numbering above follows the order established by Dupin. <span>P07900</span> is the fourth in the series. Apart from the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/e/edition" title="Glossary definition for 'Edition'"><span>edition</span></a> of 13 there are several trial proofs touched up by the artist and several proofs hors commerce. According to Dupin (p.83) the plates were made at Hayter's studio, Atelier 17, New York in June 1947 but printed at Atelier Lacourière in Paris between 1952 and 1953. Dupin describes the differences between the states as follows:
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<br/>Miró obtains effects of a negative impression by the modulation of <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/t/tone" title="Glossary definition for 'Tone'"><span>tones</span></a> and by differences in the pressure of the press: with slight pressure, the groove deeply hollowed out by acid and then inked leaves nothing but a white on the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/paper" title="Glossary definition for 'Paper'"><span>paper</span></a>; with normal pressure, the same groove restores <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/i/ink" title="Glossary definition for 'Ink'"><span>ink</span></a> of the same colour to the paper that it itself bears. (p.18)
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<br/>One such white passage exists in the centre of <span>P07900</span>.
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<br/><b>Published in:</b>
<br/><i>The Tate Gallery 1982-84: Illustrated Catalogue of Acquisitions</i>, London 1986</p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-13T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
abstraction animals: birds animals: insects & lower animals astronomy bird - non-specific figure from recognisable sources landscape micro-organism star