House with Palm Tree 1918

Joan Miró painted *House with Palm Tree* with oil on canvas, using traditional fine art materials to depict a house and its surrounding landscape. The textured application of paint gives depth to the scene, from the palm tree’s rough trunk to the subtle gradations in the sky. Miró uses the materiality of paint to build up layers of color and form, creating a sense of depth and texture. The visible brushstrokes and layering of paint create a sense of the artist's hand. The forms are simplified and abstracted, yet the composition remains grounded in the everyday. The way the house sits on the land, the placement of the palm tree, and the cultivated fields in the foreground, all suggest a connection to the rural landscape. The emphasis on materials and processes invites us to consider the role of labor and production in art. Miró's engagement with the materiality of paint, reminds us of the labor involved in artistic creation, and of the importance of craft.