Les Essències de la terra 1968

Joan Miró gave us Les Essències de la terra, probably a print, a dance of color and line on paper. Look at how the colors are laid down, almost like chunky crayons kids use. There’s red, yellow, green, and blue, sitting there like building blocks for something more. And then there are those lines, charcoal maybe, looping and swirling, carving a path across the surface. I'm drawn to the bold black stroke that swoops down like a playful signature, anchoring the whole composition. Miró isn’t trying to hide anything, is he? He's letting us see the bare bones of his process, the joy in just making marks. This piece reminds me a bit of Paul Klee, who also loved playing with simple forms and colors, but Miró has this earthiness, a grounded feeling. It's like he’s reminding us that art can be both serious and a whole lot of fun.