Le Penseur Puissant (The Mighty Thinker), 1969 is an eye-catching work by Joan Miró that showcases Miró’s creative skill in printmaking. Thick, bold black lines create a figure that rises from the bottom of the composition, presumably ‘The Mighty Thinker’ as the title suggests. The lines suggest a head and torso, and a single eye comprised of two concentric circles suggests a face. The composition emphasizes Miró’s talent in creating balanced designs. He counteracts the dark lower half of the work with keeping the negative space around the line work above blank. This allows the viewer’s eye to bounce around to the colorful circles and splotches without getting dragged too much to one area. Miró chooses to accent the thick line work with his familiar color palette of red, yellow, green and blue. Through his use of carborundum printing he is able to create subtle textures throughout the work that are extremely captivating in person. Le Penseur Puissant (The Mighty Thinker), 1969 is dynamic and powerful in its design and execution, while showing off off Miró’s artistic genius.

This work is a carborundum etching and aquatint, which was a technique that Miró frequented in his work. Carborundum is a silicon and carbon compound that is used for a variety of functions but can also be used to create prints.  Carborundum printing creates gradient tones and sandy textures. Miró is one of the few artists who mastered this medium.

Created in 1969, Joan Miró Le Penseur Puissant (The Mighty Thinker) is an Aquatint, etching, dry-point and carborundum on Arches paper. This work is hand-signed by Joan Miró (Barcelona, 1893 - Palma, 1983) in pencil in the lower right margin. Numbered from the edition of 75 in pencil in the lower left margin.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Joan Miró Le Penseur Puissant (The Mighty Thinker), 1969 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).

1. Dupin, Jacques. Joan Miró Engraver, Vol. II, 1961-1973. Paris: Maeght Editeur, 1977. Listed and illustrated as catalog raisonné no. 514 on pg. 162.
2. Miró: l’œuvre graphique, Musée d’art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Fondation Gulbenkian: Lisbon, 1974. Listed as catalogue raisonné no. 160 on pg. 46.
3. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:
Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Joan Miró Le Penseur Puissant (The Mighty Thinker), 1969 is presented in a complementary moulding and optical grade Plexiglas.