Miró was among the first artists to use “automatic drawing”, meaning that he allowed his hand to move randomly across the paper, freed of any rational control, which coincided with the beginning of Surrealism as an art movement. Although he is considered a Surrealist, Miró rejected membership in any artistic movement.

Instead, he developed his own unique style, which is best described as a combination of organic forms and sharp lines that delve into the irrational subconscious, emanating Catalan pride and child-like innocence.

This compact exhibition in the majestic Oud Sint-Jan focuses mainly on the artist’s lithographs. Overall, they are more subdued and sensual than some of his larger, bombastic paintings. In the lithographs, confusion alternates with clarity due to Miró’s trademark black lines complemented by primary colours. The composition frequently seems simple, but the sophisticated swirls exude spirituality and passion.

Birds, skies and the female form are representations of freedom that recur in his work. Having witnessed both World Wars and Franco’s Fascist reign, his technique also personifies certain degrees of rebellion. The work illustrates his state of mind moving through sober and clean-cut to bigger, bolder and less refined in his later life.

After a chronological overview of letters and lithographs from different periods of his life, enhanced by works of contemporaries such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, the exhibition concludes with a captivating French documentary featuring an 80-yearold Miró at work in his studio. He lived to 90, dying at home on Majorca in 1983.

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