Portrait II 1938

This is Joan Miró’s "Portrait II," but I don't know when he made it or with what materials. Looking at it, you immediately see a world reduced to its most basic forms. Miró’s approach is so playful, almost like a kid with crayons, but don’t be fooled! Look closely. The surface is alive with subtle textures, layered brushstrokes, and that dreamy turquoise background. The body of the ‘portrait’ is bisected by a fine vertical line – a gesture that is both elegant and slightly unsettling. Does it hold the composition together or threaten to split it apart? That’s what I like about his paintings – they are so off-kilter. Miró’s playful spirit always reminds me of Paul Klee, another master of whimsical abstraction. But where Klee’s work is often intimate and delicate, Miró’s has a boldness, a kind of joyful rebellion against the serious business of painting.