Portrait of E.C. Ricart 1917

Joan Miró made this intriguing portrait of E.C. Ricart, using oil paint, though its date is unknown. Look at the way Miró fearlessly lays down those stripes on Ricart’s shirt, each one a slightly different shade, vibrating with energy. It feels like the painting is built up through layers of instinctive choices, each mark a response to the one before. The material quality of this piece, the way the paint sits on the canvas, is really striking. The surface feels almost raw, like Miró wanted us to see the physicality of the paint itself. Notice the palette floating near the sitter's head, like a thought bubble. It’s a reminder of the artist’s presence, the hand that guided the brush, the eye that chose the colors. That little green dab, right in the middle, feels like a tiny burst of life, connecting the whole composition. I'm thinking of Marsden Hartley, a real original, who also used bold, symbolic portraiture. Both artists see painting as a conversation, a back-and-forth between intention and accident, where the unexpected can lead to something truly unique.