A bright and cheerful work, this piece illustrates Miro’s playful childlike imagination. Saccades is a charming image with rich and vibrant yellows, greens and reds that are joyful and uplifting.

Created in 1962, this original color etching with aquatint is from the illustrated series Saccades, a set of eight works. Engraved at Atelier 17, Paris, under the direction of Stanley William Hayter Printed by Lacourière et Frélaut, Paris on Auvergne and published by Jacques Dupin, this work is an artist’s proof, noted ‘epruve d’ artiste’ in pencil in the lower left. This work has a guaranteed authentic signature by Miro in pencil in the lower right hand side of the work.

This piece contains the lively and spontaneous quality of Miro’s trademark automatism style. Automatism was the artistic practice of an artist letting her/his hand move “automatically,” in accordance with subconscious commands from the brain. This artistic movement hoped to bring a more natural and uninhibited quality to the artwork. However, artists, like Miro, also claimed that the nature of automatism prevented them from being able to directly identify any subjects/objects within a work of art. In this sense, because it is the artist’s subconscious being channeled through his body, he is unable to decipher content in the work. The job of the viewer then becomes deciphering symbols and creating meaning with these mysterious shapes and beautiful colors. Saccades possesses a wealth of intriguing shapes to tempt our imagination. In the way a Warshak ink blot invites us to make images from seemingly arbitrary spots of ink, Miro too plays on our imagination as we discover subjects and objects in this piece. Richly saturated color, this is a fine impression in pristine condition!

Documentation/Coa:
It is fully documented and referenced in (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that I will enclose with the sale of the work):
1) Dupin, Jacques, Miró Engraver, Vol. II, series listed as cat no.331 on page 35 with details on page 28.
2) Cramer, Patrick. Joan Miro: The Illustrated Books: Catalogue Raisonne, 1989, series listed at cat. no 77 on page 215.

About the Framing:
Conservation framed with archival materials and museum quality, this work is set in an ornate gold leaf and black frame. The sculptural elements of the moulding compliment the undulating playful elements within the piece. The bright tone of the framing accentuates the vibrant hues in the image. Completed with cream linen wrapped mattes and a matching gold inner fillet, this work is set behind an archival Plexiglas cover.